Dragon's Moon
by Sapphirefly
Summary: While recovering from her unrequited love for Dilandau, Hitomi meets a dark stranger who will lead her unto the underworld of her city and show her a reality she never knew existed. VH. (Sequels 'Mystic Wings' and 'Mark of a Goddess' are already available in my profile)
1. Chapter 1

****_Author's Notes: Dear beloved readers, yes you are looking at it. This is 'Dragon's Moon'. I've had a lot of requests for it, so I'm bringing it back. Unfortunately, there has been no edit job done on this. I'm bringing it back exactly the way I took it down. So, it looked the same in 2005. Please enjoy and review, even if you've read it before. Seriously, I need the cheer leading. Loads of Love, Sapphirefly  
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**Chapter One**

**A Night at the Club**

It just stopped raining. The sky looked steely and cold. How could the sky still be so bright, like metal, so late in the day?

Hitomi decided there was no delaying it, and she went to put on her coat. She pulled it out of the closet and wrapped it around her shoulders. It was so cold! The folds swung around her body in waves of cold. The chill of the coat hurt and annoyed her since she was on her way to meet someone who was not exactly inviting. Well, inviting in a pleasant sort of way. She vaguely decided that if she was going to go then she would be at the club at nine o'clock.

She shook her head, and the chill with it.

She went to the counter in the kitchen and saw the note written in her mother's neat handwriting,

_I went to the airport to drop off your father and I won't be home until late. Marlene is on a sleep over. She went with Katy on the bus after school, so don't worry about her. Leave a note if you go anywhere and don't forget to wake me up to let me know that you're home safe if it's late. _

_Love you honey._

It was signed with her mother's perfect signature.

Marlene was Hitomi's younger sister. They weren't very much alike. Hitomi wondered sometimes if they were even related. Marlene's room was across from hers. Marlene's walls were waxed with pictures of teenage boys she'd cut out of magazines. The pointless of it boggled Hitomi, but it was Marlene's room, and mentioning the idiocy of it to her was pointless. She had to let it go.

Hitomi walked out of the door, checking her pockets for her keys. Yes, they were there. She walked down the hall of the apartment building and down the flight of stairs to the outside doors. Stepping onto the pavement, she realized that she was actually going to see that guy after all, even when she hadn't planned to. In fact, she had been quite adamant about leaving him waiting, while she never came. Funny how these things worked out for her, and she continued out of the building.

It was quite a unique sensation for her as she walked along the sidewalk, in the direction of the bus stop. When he called she told him that she would 'think about it'. That wasn't doing it, she told him. With his usual arrogance, he said that she would be there all the same and that he wouldn't be left waiting for long. She didn't like to admit it to herself, but of course he was right. She hated the idea that he had so much control over her, but he did. She proved that just now on the way to her bus stop. How could she have let things get this out of hand?

She touched the metal post that held the bus stop sign. It was cold and wet from the rain under her fingers. Again, that cold!

Ah, the bus was there. Hitomi stepped onto the metal stairs. She sat down on a bench near the back, as usual, and looked absently out the window. There wasn't really anything to see outside. What could she look at? The darkened shop windows or the ugly street lights?

The bus was crowded, though not full. The people looked bored, and a few people stood in the aisle holding the cord to signal the driver when it was their stop. They might be on their way to a place they would enjoy. It was such a contrast to where she was going. She looked miserably at the floor and thought for a moment that she was going to cry, but she managed to get it together.

Her stop was coming up. She pulled the black cord, and made her way to the side door. Her legs were restless from anxiety. Even a moment on the bus seat was enough to irritate her. She should be walking to work off her tension.

This wasn't her real stop, she remembered as the stepped off the bus. She needed to transfer. There was no one around this bus stop and she stood by the bench, unwilling to sit down on it. It was dripping wet from the rain. It was all right though, because she knew that the bus would be there in a minute or so.

Here it was.

She got on.

The second bus was very crowded and Hitomi would be lucky to get a seat at all. As she looked around the bus after presenting her bus pass to the driver, she noticed that there was something unusual about the people. The people in this bus; they were all young. Most of them were clothed in black leather with metal dripping from them. There was one empty seat in the midst of them. She moved to the seat. Maybe they would let her have it. The seat was by a window on a bench with a man sitting close to the aisle. As she got closer, he got up to let her sit next to the window. When she was in the bench, he sat down beside her and said nothing. He started straight in front of him.

Hitomi looked at some of the people standing in the aisle hanging onto the metal poles for support. A woman just older than herself gave her a spiteful look. She was carrying several grocery bags and looked as though she was having a hard time of it. Hitomi had to look at the floor to escape from the woman's glare. Then, the strangest thing happened. The man sitting next to Hitomi turned on the woman in the aisle with a potent dark look. Then the woman was suddenly pushing past the other standing passengers to the front of the bus. The woman was afraid of him.

Hitomi didn't understand why the man had allowed her to sit down at all. Why hadn't he treated her with the same disdain with which he treated the woman in the aisle?

None of the people in black spoke to her and she didn't try to speak to them. She felt out of place with them in her light brown trench coat. She wasn't like them. Some of them had pierced their eyebrows, or noses, or both! One man who sat a little ways away from her had a tattoo of a dragon down the back of his neck. Their hair was dyed strange colours, and looked like it hadn't been washed in days. There was dark lip stick on their mouths and strange dark smudges around their eyes. She was hardly wearing any make up at all.

She looked over at the man sitting next to her. He didn't look as old as the others. His face was clean and freshly shaven. Hitomi guessed that he couldn't be that much older than herself. He didn't seem half as intimidating, yet he was sitting confidently in the midst of them.

Right then, he seemed to be watching for his stop, because it was coming up soon. He stood up and pulled the cord. It seemed it was the stop of all the skids as well, because they all moved to get off.

Hitomi silently got up with them – it was her stop too.

The bus was half full now, and everyone standing took a seat.

Once on the sidewalk, Hitomi began walking to the club. Oddly enough, the strange group from the bus walked with her. It was the weirdest experience. Some of them walked in front, some behind her, and some on either side of her. None of them said anything to her. Not one of them said a word. She wasn't afraid, exactly. None of them looked at her. Even the ones behind her seemed to be looking off to the side.

The club she was going to had bright orange lights outside. The punks took her to the door, but didn't follow her inside. She watched them walk down the street, in search of a real place to party. She heard them laughing and talking as they went. They had been totally silent as they took her to the club from the bus.

Strange.

The club was noisy and smoky as usual, with the young teenage girls walking around in the little tank tops that never seem to go out of fashion.

It was dark in the lounge, but she spotted _him_ sitting at a table by himself. He had nothing on the table in front of him, but an empty glass ash tray and the drinks menu held up by a plastic stand.

She went and sat down across from him, as she knew she had to. She was meeting him here tonight.

He looked up at her with his sharp eyes. "You're a little late. I didn't think you'd leave me waiting long though." He surveyed her; "you haven't taken off your coat?"

"Why would I? I'm not staying long."

"Hitomi, you did come and you ARE staying," he looked at her again with those sharp eyes.

Why could he make her do exactly what he wanted her to do? It made her mad, but it had been this way a long time. What was she expecting from him anyway?

"What did you want to talk to me about?" she asked, trying to defy him in a small way.

He took her chin in hand, with a smile and said, "Look at me."

Hitomi looked at him; longish blond hair that didn't quite fall into his eyes, glinting eyes that always had gleams of mischief in them. He was tall with broad shoulders and managed to attract attention wherever he went. He definitely looked better than any other guy in the room. How was she going to get away from him?

"Do you think I would ask you down here without a good reason?"

"You never know," she said cynically.

He didn't even notice her tone of voice, and went on without a problem. "I need you to help me with a project I've been working on."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Tomorrow I need you to go buy me a couple of extension cords, a pair of wire strippers and some antifreeze. I'll give you the money. Feel like helping out?" He pushed a piece of paper to her across the table.

She picked it up and read it. It was only a list of the things that he had just mentioned. She raised her eyebrow at him. He was looking over across the room at the dance floor. "Dilandau, I have a question for you. What exactly do you need all this stuff for?"

"My car," he said absently, still looking at the dance floor, maybe at somebody. "I'm spending loads of cash trying to bring her up to snuff," he finished.

There was no point in his explaining all the little details to Hitomi. She had known next to nothing about cars until she began hanging out with him. Now she knew more than she ever wished to. She kind of expected him to tell her about each phase of the operation, but he didn't. He just continued staring out onto the dance floor. He used to tell her all kinds of things. She used to even think they were friends, but even then things weren't really different.

A waitress came up and asked them if they wanted anything.

Dilandau said he was fine.

"I'd like a lemon Italian soda . . . medium please," Hitomi said, and the waitress was gone.

"I don't get exactly what you mean," she said to him. "You could have told me all this over the phone when you called me. Why haul me out her with all this mystery? Why . . ." She was about to ask him about the punks who seemed to be her personal body guards, but stopped herself. What if he didn't have anything to do with all that? After all, if it was his doing – he would laugh at her for not understanding exactly why he did it. Dilandau did hang out with some bizarre people sometimes and even though they had been 'friends' for years, there were still many things that she didn't know about him. She kept silent on the subject.

He turned to her. "Don't you think I want to see you?"

"No."

He laughed, but it wasn't for real. Besides, she couldn't hear him over the thunderous music coming from the speakers. He didn't look at her, not even when he laughed; he was watching the dancers out on the floor.

"Did you want to dance?" she asked.

"Let's dance," he said, as if he hadn't heard her offer. He rose from his chair and hardly waited for her to take her coat off before hauling her off by her wrist. They walked down the steps and into the dancing area.

As they went into the streams of green light, the fast song ended, and a slow song came on. Dilandau grabbed her and yanked her close to him. It was uncomfortable to be so close to him. She put her arms around his neck, because there was absolutely nothing else she could do. She could feel his hands on her hips. He was squeezing, she clenched her eyes shut at the pain of it. A few months ago when he did that, she blushed over his shoulder, and didn't seem to feel the pain. Now that she wanted nothing more to do with it or him. She bit down on her lower lip and waited for the song to end.

He bent his head down and rasped in her ear, "I need those things by Sunday. Bring them over to my place." He took something out of his back pocket and slid it calmly into hers. "My interac card," he informed her indifferently.

Then the song was over.

Dilandau walked away from Hitomi and over to some girls he knew and began dancing with them. He waved for Hitomi to follow him, but he looked so absorbed with the other girls that she thought she could sneak back up the stairs without him noticing.

The table that they had been sitting at in the lounge had her soda on it. She went to the table and sat down. She hadn't really wanted anything, but felt that she had to order something. She took a drink and set it back down on the table with a thud. The list of things Dilandau wanted was still on the table. She didn't really feel like doing favours for him, but he did give her his bank card. She toyed with the idea of going on a shopping spree with his money. He did always seem to have plenty of money, but such a thing was out of the question. He would have her head for that!

Just then the man Hitomi recognized from the bus came and sat down in the chair Dilandau had been sitting in. He didn't say anything at first. He was staring at Dilandau out on the dance floor. Then he said to her, "Dilandau Albatou. You know him. How?"

Hitomi didn't want to answer and instead called the waitress over and asked for her bill. He took it from the waitress before Hitomi could reach it. "I'll pay for it," he said shortly, holding the slip of paper between his fingers, almost as if it were a cigarette.

"Why? Are you interested?"

"Extremely."

She raised her eyebrow at him. "There's not really much to say. I met him when I was in the tenth grade. I thought he was going to ask me out, but he never did. I guess we've been friends ever since."

"Did he tell you why he never asked you out?"

"No."

Hitomi took a drink of her soda and looked at him. He was thin and tallish when standing, with dark brown eyes. She wanted to ask him some questions, but didn't dare to. She was constantly leery of Dilandau's friends and acquaintances. Instead, she picked up the list and slid it into her pocket.

He noticed her action, but said nothing.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Van," he answered. "When you want to head home," he continued after a pause, "I'll take you. I have my car here, but if you'd feel more comfortable on the bus . . . I can do that too. It's up to you." He smiled at her.

"Why should you care if I get home or not?" she asked. What Van said to her confirmed that Dilandau had nothing to do with those people on the bus. Maybe she should have spoken to him about it.

"I don't want you to get hurt, and there are dangerous things going on tonight. Please don't give me that look. Dilandau isn't going to take care of you. He didn't come to pick you up tonight, now did he?"

Hitomi looked at Van closely. Was he one of those punks? She couldn't make up her mind. But why would he offer to do such a thing? Why would he bother? He didn't even know her.

"Are you stalking me?" she asked suddenly.

He looked into her eyes, but did nothing to indicate whether or not he thought her question ridiculous.

"Do you want to dance?" she asked. There was no way she'd let him take her home (she already felt strange about allowing him to pay for her drink), but it would be all right to dance with him. She could give him the slip later on in the evening, after she made him feel comfortable. He just didn't seem like the kind of guy who would take 'no' for an answer.

"No," he answered shortly.

"Please," she begged with a practiced pout.

"No. Did you come here to dance?"

"Of course not, but come on anyway."

She got up from her seat and took his hand in hers. "Come on."

Van looked at her and shook his head in resignation. Then he got up too and paid her bill. Van came back from one of the cash registers and surveyed the dance floor. "Okay," he said dryly, "just so long as you don't make me dance on the stage or on the speakers. Understand?"

"Deal!"

He shrugged for her to lead the way and took her hand.

Together, they went down to the dance floor. They danced and danced. He wasn't a great dancer, but he could hold his own, she noticed. During the slow songs they danced together, but not the first one, they went back to the table and gulped the soda together. She took a drink and then offered it to him. He drank it steadily. After that they didn't go back to the table at all. Van put her coat in a locker that was handy and gave her the key, so she could dance without worrying someone would take it.

When they were dancing, she half looked around for Dilandau, but never caught a glimpse of him. Had he gone so soon? Hitomi was angry at him for making her come out to meet him, especially if he was going to leave without even talking to her. She could have gone to the movies with Millerna. Her annoyance with Dilandau was usually strong, but with Van here it was easier to forget him. She decided that Dilandau was ruining her evening, even though he wasn't there. She had to forget about Dilandau completely and just dance with Van. After all Van was good looking, and he wasn't presumptuous when they slow danced. He kept his hands firmly on her waist – no straying.

Hours later she looked at her watch and saw that it was past one o'clock. Aghast, she ran to the lockers. It would take her at least forty minutes to get home, or more. She thought that if she disappeared quickly she might be able to lose Van. Suddenly, she ditched him on the dance floor and bounded up the stairs and over to the lockers, pulling the key he gave her out of her pocket. She slid it into the slot and ripped her trench coat out of the metal box. She pulled it over her shoulders and was on her way to the door. Maybe she was fast enough.

Van ran up to her, dodging people as he went and grabbed her arm.

It was impossible. His eyes hadn't left her since he came up to her at the table.

"Wait! I was going home with you," he shouted at her over the music.

"Don't bother," she yelled back, and pulled her arm out of his grip.

He let go of her, but followed her out of the club. He got on the bus with her too when it arrived.

There were no more arguments over the subject. Neither of them said anything. He walked her to the door of her apartment complex.

They were standing in front of her door. She put her key in the door's key hole.

"Thanks for bringing me home. I had a good time," she said in a smudge of a hurry, still feeling like she had to lose him, and if she was much longer, she'd get in trouble.

"My pleasure," he said indifferently as he shut the door between them. He gave her one last glance through the glass, and she thought for a moment that she saw a shadow of regret cross his features.

Then he walked away.

6


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Notes: Thanks to all of you who reviewed. I know I didn't write individual thank you cards to each of you and you really deserved it since you remembered me after all this time. I'm just not well enough yet. Maybe I'll be able to do something like that a little later on. Cheers to you all for reviewing! Thank you!**  
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**Chapter Two**

Hitomi woke up the next morning in her room.

She looked at the clock and saw it was around noon. She got up and wandered into the kitchen to see if there was anything good to eat. She was just about to open the refrigerator door when the phone rang.

"Hello."

"Hi Hitomi, how's it going?"

Hitomi rolled her eyes. It was Dilandau.

"Hey, what happened to you last night?" she asked him. "You could have dropped me home, even if you had other plans."

"Sorry," he said, and Hitomi thought he sounded insincere. "I'll make it up to you. I'll tell you what. My schedule just cleared, so I can pick up that stuff for my car myself."

Hitomi nearly snapped. Like that made up for anything! She went through all that trouble to go meet him at the club, and for what? For him to say that he didn't really need her the next day? She ground her teeth in frustration.

"Could I come pick you up?" he asked.

"What? You want me to go with you?"

"Yeah, if you're not too busy. We really need to talk."

"I'm not sure I can," she said, thinking of how he had successfully used her again.

"I have to come over anyway, so I'll see you when I make it over."

"Why?" Hitomi demanded, wondering why anything other than 'no' always meant 'yes' to him.

"Because, you have my bank card," he said, laughing at her while he stated the obvious. "I'll see you soon," he said and hung up the phone.

Hitomi ruffled her short hair, and stamped her foot. She wouldn't be fit to be seen if she didn't have a quick shower at least before he came over. Damn him! She decided she had to ignore breakfast in order to be presentable. She put the phone down on the counter and stormed off.

As Hitomi got into the shower she tried not to think about what had happened the other night. The water was cold. It took a moment before it warmed up. Then she hopped in.

She made up her mind on the spot that she wouldn't go to pick up those things with Dilandau. She admitted to herself that she wasn't completely over him yet if she had thought for a moment that she would like to go anywhere with him. So, he was doing something to his car. Great! He probably wanted her help. She could stand next to him and hold a flash light, or hand him tools. She had hung out with him for years doing exactly that. She shook her head furiously. She was such a doormat! This _had_ to be blown off.

She pushed the shower door open, and grabbed the towel hanging from the rack. She pushed everything out of her mind as she wrapped her hair up in the towel, and tucked a little bit of it up the rest of the towel by her neck. She pulled her bath robe around her. It felt so good and warm.

Hitomi opened the bathroom door and went down the hall to her own room. She heard music coming from behind her bedroom door. She thought instantly that it was Marlene home early from the sleep over. The music didn't sound familiar so she must be playing a new CD. Marlene didn't have her own CD player, so she must be borrowing Hitomi's. Hitomi decided not to go in right away, because she would have to kick her sister out as soon as she came in the room, and it would be a shame if it was a new CD.

Instead, Hitomi turned around and went into the kitchen. Her mother was cooking a few hard boiled eggs at the stove.

"Good morning. Have you had any lunch yet?" her mother asked.

"Nope. I haven't even had breakfast." She opened the fridge and took out an orange. "Did Marlene have fun at her sleep over last night?"

"I don't know. She's not home yet."

"Then who's listening to music in my room?"

Her mother turned to her with a knowing smile. "Oh, I forgot," she said like something was hugely funny. "Someone buzzed up to the apartment, and asked for you. He said his name was Van and that he was your friend, so I thought he was okay. But, when I opened the door to let him in, he looked terrible. He looked like he had a really rough night. I put him in your room, because I didn't think he'd be very comfortable sitting in the living room with me here."

"But why are you laughing?" Hitomi asked.

"I didn't think you knew any boys that good looking."

"Oh . . . well thanks," Hitomi blundered

"So, when did you meet him?" she persisted.

"Just last night. I'm not sure why he's here."

"Better go check," her mom said with a suggestive wink.

Hitomi left the kitchen looking over her shoulder to see if her mom was still laughing at her, but now she had her back to Hitomi and was rinsing off the eggs. Hitomi turned and went into her room. When she opened the door she saw him. He was lying on her bed, and his shoes were on the floor neatly beside it. He was staring fixedly at the ceiling with the most melancholy expression. He had turned on her stereo and was listening to a band Hitomi had never heard before. She went to her dresser and pulled out the clothes she would wear that day. She told him quietly that she would be right back and went into the bathroom. She pulled her clothes on faster then she had ever before; yanked the towel from her hair, and didn't care if it was a mess. Even though the situation was a little strange, for some reason it wasn't.

They had had a good time the night before. Maybe she had made a really big impression on him. It was possible that he was interested in her. Even so, she had never interested a guy enough to have him even call her the day after a great date. But, then she thought about what he looked like lying on her bed. He looked like crap. She'd have to talk to him and find out what the matter was, but she couldn't help being a little excited about him just being there.

In a moment she was in her room again. Van was still lying on the bed. She went and sat next to him. Up close he looked just as bad as her mother had suggested. "What happened?"

"Don't ask," he said, as he rubbed his eyes.

What happened? She thought of asking him again about his behaviour the night before and about those people who were with him on the bus, but was suddenly caught up by how striking he was. The night before, she had only seen him in the dark of the club and the pasty white light of the bus. Now, in the day light, he looked – well – incredible. He was wearing a black T-shirt and jeans. His coat lay on the carpet by the bed. It was black leather, and neat looking. He wasn't wearing a watch, and for some odd reason it reminded her that she had better put hers on. She slid it on, because it was on the bed side table. He opened his eyes and noticed her movement, but did nothing. He closed his eyes again.

Suddenly there was a tap on her door.

"Hitomi, Dilandau's here," her mother called into the room.

"What's he doing here? Were you expecting him?" Van asked.

"You don't want to see him?"

"No. I didn't know he was coming. Did something happen since last night? You aren't dating him now, are you?"

"No," Hitomi said, a little surprised. "He didn't suddenly decide that he liked me after all since yesterday. Why would you even think that? He wanted me to go buy some things for him. That's why I met him at the club yesterday. He changed his mind about my doing the favour for him and he came over to get his bank card back from me. But he does want me to go with him," Hitomi admitted the last part a little hesitantly.

"Did you get out of it?"

"No."

"Are you going to go with him?" Van asked seriously.

"I don't think so. I was planning on staying home, but I have to go give him back his bank card. I'll be back in a minute or two. Hang on." She got up and ruffled around yesterday's pants until she found Dilandau's card and left the room, shutting the door behind her.

Dilandau was sitting on the couch in the living room. He stood up when he saw Hitomi come into the room. Hitomi noticed that her mother was no where to be found.

"Ready?" he asked.

"I haven't felt too good since I talked to you on the phone." She handed him the card. "So, you can go ahead without me."

"Really?" he said coming towards her. "I'll just say 'good-bye' then," he said mockingly. He knew from habit that Hitomi couldn't resist him. He suddenly bent down and kissed her briefly on the mouth. Hitomi didn't even have the chance to move. She was taken completely off-guard.

"What did you do that for?" she asked, moving away in alarm.

"I really wanted a chance to talk to you, but yesterday didn't seem like quite the right time. You seemed too pissed off at the club. If you don't feel too sick, then can I stay and talk to you for awhile?" He looked around at the big living room with three open doorways. "Can we go into your room, so we can have some privacy?"

Hitomi's mind was reeling. He kissed her! How could he do this to her? He acted like he didn't care about her for years and he was doing this _now_? Even worse . . . how could she be his girl friend now when she felt so differently? She couldn't deal with this right now. She needed to come up with an excuse to get rid of him this second - Van was in the bedroom and he didn't want to see Dilandau. Wait . . . what a good idea! She could ask Van to help her.

"Wait Dilandau, I have to tidy up my bedroom. I'll be right back."

She left him no chance to reply and went speedily back into the bedroom. Things were spinning completely out of control. "Van, something crazy just happened," she said after she shut the door behind her. "Why did you think before that Dilandau and I were a couple now?"

Van shrugged.

"Did he tell you that he was going to ask me out?"

"No."

"Well, I have a premonition that Dilandau came here today with that intention. I was just wondering if you knew anything about that."

"Of course he'd want to date you, Hitomi."

"Are you good friends with him?" Hitomi questioned.

"No. I don't even know him."

"Then why were you asking me about him last night?"

"You can rest easy. I'm not friends with him. Like I said, I've never met him – officially."

"Great! Then you won't mind doing a tinsy favour for me," she said, with a wicked grin on her face.

"What?"

"I want you to come out and let me introduce you to Dilandau. We can say that you're my new boyfriend."

"I have to tell you something, Hitomi. I don't think that's such a good idea . . ."

She interrupted him, too caught up by her idea to slow down. "Common. Would you do it? I think it would scare him off – he hates to be embarrassed and if I took you in there and introduced you as my new boyfriend, I think it would really kill any feeling he thinks he has for me. I really want him gone from my life. Please help me."

Van looked down at the floor and then gave her a curious look. He looked positively gorgeous now, for he seemed to have shaken off his tiredness. He nodded. "This might be a nuisance later on, but I'll do it. There's one thing though. We can't tell him my real name. It would cause . . . problems. Any other name will do."

Hitomi looked at him seriously. Suddenly she was thinking that maybe he was right about this not being such a good idea after all. Why would he need to hide his name from Dilandau, or anyone else? Maybe in a month he's be twice as bad as Dilandau and she would be screaming at herself for what a fool she had been once again.

She looked into his eyes again. "What kind of 'problems'?"

"I said I'll help you. You seem disgusted with him and so you want him gone. I understand that. I'm your friend. What do you think we should call me?" Here, he favoured her with a charming smile.

She fiddled with a post in her ear lobe, and decided with one look into his dark eyes that he was worth the trouble. Besides, he would probably be gone out of her life in a week or so. Hot guys like him didn't really hang around – they found other girls. She probed her memory for a name. "Let's call you Vince. Is that okay with you?"

"Sure," he said.

"Then come on." She grabbed him by the hand and dragged him into the living room where Dilandau had sat down again.

When they came into the room Dilandau stared at Van like he couldn't believe his eyes. Hitomi thought it was because of his good looks, and that the last thing in the world he had expected was for her to bring another guy out of her bedroom.

Hitomi spoke quickly. "Dilandau this is my friend Vince. Vince this is Dilandau. When I was talking to you on the phone I didn't know that Vince was coming over. He surprised me."

"Hi Vince," he said, acknowledging Van. "So, when did you two meet? I mean, I haven't heard Hitomi mention you before now."

Van answered, "We met at the club last night. She was sitting at a table all by herself." He looked down at Hitomi, seeming to get a kick out of the conversation. "She was so beautiful, and all alone. I went up to her and we just clicked." Now he looked at Dilandau almost as if to challenge him, and covered Hitomi's hand with his own. "It was weird. I haven't ever done anything like that before. I walked up and I just asked her. She said she'd dance with me and here we are."

Dilandau gave Hitomi a hurt look. "And now you're going out?" He didn't wait for an answer and just went on, "I guess that's that. I had better go if I'm going to get all those things done today," and with that he headed for the door. "I'll see you guys later."

Hitomi was breathless as Dilandau shut the door behind him. She had just turned down the guy who she had wanted to go with for over two years now. She wished she could say that she didn't care, or that she was relieved, but it wasn't that simple. She remembered his eyes just before he left the room – crushed. She hated hurting him like that, and now their friendship was lost. He had consumed so much of her time – her life. What was she going to do without him?

Van seemed to be laughing, until he turned his head to see Hitomi's saddened face. He touched her shoulder and squeezed it lightly. "Did you get what you wanted?

"I don't know." She put her hand to her forehead and sat down on the couch.

"From the looks of things, you didn't."

She tilted her head towards him. "I'm sorry. You have to understand that I used to have a massive crush on him. It's taken me a long time to shake it. Now this was the perfect time to detach myself from him . . . and I feel hurt about it somehow." She wanted to explain herself to him in more detail. Explain why she was so hesitant to be rid of Dilandau forever, but she found that she couldn't. Instead, she reminded him that he was going to tell her something.

"It's not important. Are you _very_ hurt about what you just did, because if you are I'll run down the hall and tell him to come back? We could tell him it was all a lie to make him jealous and you could make up with him . . ."

"No. I don't want that."

He looked at the door, and then said to her after a pause, "You don't know it, but you have done something wonderful for me today. I won't forget it."

"No you did something wonderful for me when you helped me trick him. I'll be more grateful when I'm not so emotional."

"I should probably come back when you aren't feeling so bad," he said gently, still standing in front of her.

"Which reminds me, why did you come over today?"

Suddenly that rough look came over his features again, and he looked just as bad as when she first saw him in her bedroom. A grim smile spread rather sickly across his face. "I thought maybe we could watch the news together, but I see today's not a good day for you. Perhaps some other time?" he paused. "Besides, I should really be going."

"Uh . . . okay."

He walked down the hall to get his jacket and shoes. He came back and sat down on a black chair opposite her and put his shoes on.

Hitomi wished he wasn't going. Had she done something wrong?

"Hitomi," he said suddenly. "Do you recognize me from anywhere?" He looked searchingly into her eyes.

"I had never seen you before last night," she said honestly.

Saturday night.

Absolutely nothing to do.

Hitomi snapped her gum and stared at her bedroom ceiling. Tonight was going to be boring as hell. Fortunately, Van had left that disc in her CD player, but she was listening to the tracks for the third time. There was nothing to do; her parents had gone out for dinner and a movie, and Marlene was in her bedroom talking on the phone. Hitomi tried to comfort herself by saying that the day hadn't been a waste. It wasn't as if she was alone by choice, if she wanted to she could have gone with Dilandau. That was no good.

She wandered out into the living room and flipped on the T.V. Then she plopped herself on the couch and hoped that she would be able to find something good to watch. Wait, what had Van said about the news?

She flipped the channel. A woman's voice boomed, ". . . the culprits were arrested. Other gang members were questioned."

The screen showed four men with their hands handcuffed. It only showed their backs as they were getting in the back of the police cruisers. On one of their necks was a tattoo of a dragon. She knew that dragon. He mind flashed back to the bus and the man who had sat in front of her.

Her attention was back at the screen as the four men being put into a police car were screaming, "We did it!" Someone quieter asked, "Will someone please tell him that we did it?"

Other things were being shouted, but now the reporter's voice was louder than theirs. "A court date has not yet been set. The funerals for the victims are set for early next week. We'll have more on this story as it develops. Now back to you Gary."

What happened last night?

6


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Notes: Thanks again to everyone who reviews. You're helping me remember to do this. So, you deserve another chapter. _**  
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**Chapter Three**

Hitomi tried to find out more about those people who died. It seemed that one of them worked for a shop in the middle of the city called 'Lick and Stick.' She had been down that street many times, and never noticed what it was they sold. It was a shabby place with a creepy ally beside it. She went there on Tuesday and had a look at the police lines. It turned out to be a tattoo parlour it was still closed from the incident, but she looked in the window. The place looked less reputable on the inside than it looked on the outside.

The other two people were a married couple that were headed towards the bus stop. Apparently they were drunk and purchasing more liquor when they were attacked.

When Hitomi realized that the police lines were drawn very near the second bus stop that she was going to need to take when she left the club on Saturday, she wanted to throw up.

When she got home she did throw up. She remembered the blood in the ally and on the side walk outside the shop. The rain hadn't washed it away yet, so it still gleamed red. They said on the news that the husband's throat was slit. The one who worked in the shop was shot in the head. She missed some of the news broadcast, and so she went to the library to find the newspaper that had an article on it. Once she found it she had it photocopied. It had more details than what was broadcast on T.V. Not to mention that this way she could look at the article and reread it. It said that the wife was hit quite hard on the head and fell unconscious. She was rushed to the hospital, but didn't make it. The paper said calmly that these people were killed in cold blood, because they didn't have another mark on them. No one could figure out why they were killed.

Another extremely upsetting thing happened on Tuesday night. It was in the Wednesday paper. One of the four men that were arrested (their names were still being held from the media) on Saturday morning killed himself late Tuesday – he bled all night. He slit his wrists with the little razor. The guards claimed they had searched him properly. They didn't know how he'd managed to smuggle it into the prison cell with him.

Hitomi couldn't handle how miserable he must have been before he did it. She thought she was going to throw up again when ever she thought about it.

After that the other three prisoners were re-searched and checked on twice as often. Every possible precaution was being taken to make sure that they didn't try anything.

Hitomi wanted to know if the one who killed himself was the one with the dragon tattooed on his neck. It didn't exactly surprise her that none of the news papers or news programs said. They showed photos of the men, but the pictures didn't include what any of them looked like from behind.

Hitomi wandered around and tried to think. What was happening? Dilandau had been involved in some pretty ugly things before, but never murder. And what about Van? As unintelligent as it was, Hitomi didn't want to accuse Van of anything - not even in her head. She was sure that she had really fallen for him when she was being this stupid. She felt like she was definitely making a mistake when she acknowledged that she felt this way, which was only for about two seconds before she dismissed the idea and pushed it fervently out of her mind.

She also had the challenge of acting like everything was all right when she went to school and when she spoke to her family. Besides, she had to relax. None of these things were her fault. Bad things like this happened in a city this size all the time and they had never bothered her before. There was no reason why she should become obsessed with them now. She asked Millerna to go rollerblading with her that evening – Friday. She wanted to see a smiling face, and Millerna knew how to put on a smiling face.

Millerna suggested they go to the usual place - a near-by lake that had a rollerblade path around it. When they got there Hitomi smiled and talked to her best friend like everything was okay. She was almost able to forget the nightmarish fog she seemed to be living in since she watched the news on Saturday night. Actually, she finally got the courage to explain a little bit of what happened with Dilandau – sans Van. Millerna's reaction was priceless.

"Are you telling me that Dilandau finally asked you out and you said no?" Millerna practically yelled.

Hitomi turned sharply on her roller blades. "No. He did not ask me out. How many times do I have to keep telling you that? He didn't. I just really had the feeling that he was just going to."

"And you didn't give him the chance. Well, I don't blame you. I always said he was bad news."

"And why did you think that?" Hitomi managed to laugh in spite of herself.

"I don't know." Millerna pulled her backpack off her shoulders and unzipped the side pocket. "Do you remember when I first met him? What a disaster that was! I just can't help being hostile around him." She pulled out a bottle of water and took a drink. "I have tried to like him, because you had a crush on him, but now that you don't, I can complain all I want," Millerna said as she put her water back in her pack.

Hitomi helped her put it back on her shoulders. "Bet you I can beat you to that ice cream stand at the far end of the lake."

"Right," Millerna laughed and they started off towards the stand.

The sun was still shining brightly even though it was almost eight o'clock in the evening. There were big white clouds walking lazily across the sky. The roller path they always took was made of dark red brick slabs, and just a little rocky. It was made for walking, but now people who simply wanted to walk around the sparkling lake were few compared to the skaters. The setting sun reflected off the water in order to blind the people facing west.

Near one edge of the lake, there was a square where there were pop machines, stands and little shops. Hitomi and Millerna came racing around the corner. They made it at almost the same moment.

Hitomi was breathing hard. It wasn't exactly a short race.

"I'll have a cherry bar," she told the man working the stand after she had examined the price lists. She paid for it and ripped the wrapping off it when the man gave it to her.

Millerna ordered the same and they went on their way.

As they began to roll away from the stand Millerna asked, "So you still haven't told me how you got out of having to hear his little speech."

"It's kind of secret."

"A secret?" she laughed. "I'm sorry girly, but we don't keep secrets very well, so speak up."

"You're right, I know. We tell each other everything, but I want to keep this one all to myself." Hitomi wanted to change the flow of the conversation and asked, "Have you decided if you're going to play in the tennis tournament this year?"

"Nope. I don't know. I need to practise. Since I'm moving up this year into the 'eighteen to twenty one' division I don't know if I'll be able to clean house the way I usually do. I don't know if I can handle not being on the podium. I've always been there."

"Don't you think you'd like to try, you know, just to see? I mean, what if you don't go, then you'll never know if you could've done it," Hitomi said.

"We'll see. Will you come and practise with me tomorrow? I promise not to kick your butt too badly."

"Just so long as we can go in the afternoon. None of this crack of dawn stuff, okay?"

"Sure," Millerna said.

Just then Hitomi spotted someone she knew heading towards them. He was walking in their direction, but he wasn't looking at them.

Millerna started up, "Look at him." She pointed at him with her chin. "He's . . ." She cut herself off since he was close enough to hear her now.

Van stepped up to Hitomi and stood very close to her. "Hello," he said.

"What are you doing here?"

He looked around at the people walking around in the square. "When were you two planning on going home?"

"We haven't been here for very long," Hitomi said to him calmly, then suddenly asked, "Do we need to leave?"

He looked at her abruptly. "Do you mean to ask if there if going to be trouble here?"

She nodded.

He shook his head, "None that I know of."

Hitomi noticed his hair was wet and the darkness of it was reflecting the bright sun. She tried not to pay attention, and instead said, "Vince this is Millerna." She had decided at the last second not to call him Van. She thought that it was best to protect the secret, at least for the time being. What if Millerna ran into Dilandau by accident? She didn't know the trick she and Van played on Dilandau.

Van shook hands with Millerna.

"I didn't expect you to be here with anyone," he said to Hitomi.

Hitomi hadn't seen him since he walked out of the apartment last Saturday. He hadn't called either, even though she thought that he might. It was Friday now. She was going to come to go out by herself, but at the last minute she decided that she didn't want to be alone, so she called Millerna and asked her to come with her.

"How did you know that I was coming here tonight?" she blurted.

"You come here often. Why wouldn't you be here?" he said.

"How did you know I come here?" she asked, again suspecting that he was going to turn out to be a stalker.

"Has Dilandau been bothering you?"

The seriousness of his change in the conversation distracted Hitomi from her last question and she dedicated all her attention to answering him. "No. He hasn't tried to talk to me at all. I think he's being spiteful or he's jealous."

He smiled again and said calmly, "Of course he's jealous of me. Are you going to tell him the truth?"

"No."

"Really?"

"I'm not going to tell him," she said decidedly. She found all sorts of confidence inside her that she didn't know she had as she said the words.

Suddenly, he turned to Millerna and asked, "Would it be okay if I took Hitomi out tonight?"

"Why would you need to ask my permission?" Millerna stammered, turning red at his gaze.

"Well, because she made plans with you first. I didn't want to interrupt," he said.

"Fine by me," Millerna said.

"Thanks. Do you need a ride home?" he asked as he started to walk away from the girls.

"Oh, sure. Don't ask me or anything!" Hitomi exclaimed noisily, putting her hand on her hip in mock defiance.

He turned around and saw the two girls just standing there. He smiled. "And to think I thought my new girlfriend would want to spend some time with me since our long week apart," he said laughing as he continued to talk away. "Well, are you coming?"

Hitomi skated after him.

Millerna followed them hesitantly, whispering fiercely "He's your boyfriend? You never said."

"He's my little secret."

"Why would you want to keep _him_ a secret?"

Hitomi shrugged her shoulders, and tried desperately not to be too conceited about him. He could still turn out to be the stalker, or something worse.

They stopped at a bench close to the parking lot, and began to unlace their roller blades. Van stood next to them and watched. Hitomi noticed he wasn't wearing the leather jacket he had been wearing the other day. He was wearing a grey shirt with short sleeves that buttoned up the front, and a white cotton shirt under it. She thought that he looked a little trendy in dark blue jeans today. Before he didn't seem like he cared what anyone thought of his black wardrobe. He looked great anyway.

Millerna took her shoes out of her backpack and handed her roller blades to Van who tightened the laces and tied them in a huge knot. He did the same when Hitomi handed him hers. Then Millerna said, "I don't understand why I have to go home. He just assumed that I needed a ride home. I still want to blade." Millerna said, not seeming to care that Van could hear her.

"You can stay here," Hitomi said lightly.

"But I'm scared to be out here by myself," Millerna admitted, looking around her as though there were predators everwhere. She pulled her backpack on and continued, "You'll still be up for tennis tomorrow. Right?"

"Yep."

Hitomi put her back pack on her shoulders and asked Van which car was his.

"Come on. It's at the other end of the parking lot." He walked in front of the two girls, leading the way for them.

"Where did you meet him?" Millerna asked as quietly as she could.

"At the club."

"Oh is he the guy you ditched Dilandau for?"

Hitomi stopped dead in her tracks. "Where did you hear that I dumped Dilandau for some guy?" She hadn't told Millerna that part of the story.

"Didn't you tell me?" Millerna was blushing fiercely.

"No. You heard it from Dilandau, didn't you? I mean you two were never friends, but you do talk . . ."

Millerna cut her off with a distress, "Oh, Hitomi we need to talk, but I guess it can wait until I can talk to you alone."

They came up to a black convertible, with the tiniest back seat. Van took some keys out of his pocket and slid one of them into the trunk key hole.

"You'd better put your bags in here." He opened the trunk and let the girls set their packs inside. He closed the lid and walked over to the driver's side and jumped over the door and into the seat.

Millerna and Hitomi got in. Hitomi sat in the front. Van turned on some music. It had good base. It wasn't any wonder that a car this cool had a great stereo. She watched the trees neatly positioned in between the divided avenue. The sun flicked between the trees on and off. The sun was always so comforting, but not today. It should have been raining. So much was happening and so much of it was frightening.

Van asked for directions a couple of times. Millerna leaned between the front seats to tell him where she lived. When they arrived at Millerna's house, Van got out and kindly took Millerna's back pack out of the trunk and handed it to her. She thanked him for the ride and reminded Hitomi that she promised to play tennis with her the next day. Hitomi said she hadn't forgotten, and that she would call her the next day when she woke up.

"Bye," Van said to Millerna as she walked up to her house. Then he put the car in first gear and moved the car back onto the road. Millerna lived on a one way street, so he had to drive to the end of the block before he could get back onto one of the main roads. "Where do you want to go to talk?" He inquired quietly.

"Hey, first why did you say you were my boyfriend? We both know that's not the way things are."

"You introduced me as Vince. I thought that was your hint to let me know that I was playing the part. Besides, I'm the one who doesn't want Dilandau to find out who I am. Sorry for laughing. I was going to thank you for maintaining the charade."

Hitomi checked her annoyance and said, "Why don't we go to your place?"

He gave her a sideways glance. "Some place else?" he suggested.

"I don't know. I guess we can just cruise. I want to ask you . . ."

He stopped her before she said anything else. "Do you want to talk about me or Dilandau?"

"Do I have to pick?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry, but I don't think we can cruise. We have to go somewhere." He thought for a moment and then he said, "Are you hungry?"

"A little."

"Then let's go to dinner. I know a nice place." He pulled onto another road, and they were heading back into the deepest parts of the city. He turned the music up louder, making conversation almost impossible.

Hitomi supposed that he didn't want to talk to her, at least not until they got to the restaurant. She tried to listen to the music, which was cool and interesting. She pulled her sunglasses off her head and put them over her eyes. She was almost happy to hide from everyone behind them.

They parked in the parking lot beside a well known restaurant called 'The Vineyard.' It was obviously a nice place and the air conditioning was refreshing when they went in the big black doors. The waiter led them a booth in the middle of the dining room. Hitomi wanted to be by one of the large windows, but when she looked around she saw that they were all taken.

She sat down next to Van, and picked up the menu sitting in front of her. She looked up and saw that Van had looked in his only for a moment before tossing it back down on the table.

The waitress came and asked if they were ready. Van ordered crab. Hitomi ordered the same thing, because it didn't really matter what she ordered. She wasn't really hungry; she only wanted to hear what he had to tell her.

Once the waitress had gone Van asked, "Have you made up your mind yet?"

"What about the 'trouble' that you said was going to happen that night? Won't you tell me about that too?"

"I haven't made up my mind yet," he stated calmly. "You'll have to tell me if you want me to explain myself or if you want me to explain Dilandau."

She struggled with the decision for a moment or two. There were those three dead people. Hitomi figured that the deaths of those people probably had something to do with Dilandau. Hitomi had known he was into gang activities, but she hadn't liked to think about it before now. She had stayed far away from it in order to keep herself safe. With that in mind, did she want to know about this? It was probably going to get dangerous. That is, if she knew anything, she probably wouldn't be safe. To ask about anything besides those people was to be on the safe side.

On the other hand, what she really wanted to know was why Van helped her get rid of Dilandau. But, she didn't want her obvious attraction to a stranger to lead her into trouble. Van couldn't be completely innocent through all of this. He had sat with those strangers on the bus, those same people who were arrested for murder the next morning and he had known there would be an incident that night.

She clenched her teeth. Why did he have to make her pick?

"Van." She began making up her mind, "I think that it's important to know why those people died. How did you know that there was going to be trouble that night?"

He shook his head in a sort of spasm. "I did know something was going to happen that night. I planned it."

Hitomi caught her breath. _No!_

"But it wasn't part of my plan for those people to die." He looked gravely into Hitomi's eyes. "Do you believe that much?"

She considered the look on his face. Her mind flashed back to when he came to her apartment looking and acting so miserable. No, she decided. He couldn't have wanted those people to die. If he wanted innocent people to die then why did he come to take care of her that night? She saw that he was still sitting waiting for her answer.

"I believe you."

A sigh of relief escaped his lips. "Now that I know that much I can go on."

"I just have one question and then we can talk about something else. Was the man who killed himself in the prison the man who I saw on the bus with the dragon tattoo around his neck?"

"No. He was someone you never saw. The man with the dragon on his neck . . ." Van's hand went involuntarily to the back of his own neck. "He didn't hurt anyone. He didn't have a weapon on him. He'll be released sometime. I don't know exactly when." He put his hand to his mouth, but went on from under his fingers. "His name's Gaddes."

"So, those people on the bus were friends of yours?"

"Yes. I'll explain."

Just then the waitress came with their food. It was steaming and smelt wonderful, but Hitomi had no appetite.

Van looked across at Hitomi. "I know that you and I haven't known each other for very long," he began. "But I hope that you trust me."

She thought about it for a little while, wondering if she really could trust him. He had done things for her that had probably never occurred to Dilandau to do. He offered to take her home. Trouble or no trouble, Dilandau had never offered to do that. She had to give him a chance to explain himself.

"I'd like to trust you," she said in a tender voice.

He had a fork in his mouth. He swallowed hard and said, "I know that you and Dilandau have been friends for a good long time, but I have a request to make of you. From your behaviour on Saturday, you probably won't have a difficult time doing this, but still I want to make it clear that it needs to be done. I don't want you to see him anymore."

"Why?"

Van looked at her for a moment, like he wasn't sure how to proceed, but then he said, "I saw the way he treated you. He wasn't exactly kind. I know that this probably doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but I'd like to try to have a relationship with you," he said calmly, no romantic sentiment resounding in his voice. He said it like he was used to confessing his feelings. "I'd like to see what could happen between us, but in order for that to be possible, you mustn't see him anymore. I don't mean dating either. I think you made it pretty clear that you weren't interested in going that way, but I mean just hanging out as friends, or a brief chat at a bus stop. I mean never speaking to him again. I am sorry that it has to be this way, but it _has _to be this way. He won't like being cut off from you like this; he may say things to you that will upset you. He'll try to offend you. If he does, then come and tell me exactly what he said and I'll do my best to clear things up for you. Now, will you stay away from Dilandau? I know it's a lot to ask, but will you?"

"I'm still not entirely clear on why I can't see him. What exactly is the problem between you two?"

"I'm his enemy."

"Join the club. Dilandau has a zillion people who are out to get him. Apparently, he gets into fights all the time. I hear about them, but he never has a mark on him."

"Yeah," Van said slowly.

"I'll stay away from him though, whether you're asking me to or not. I'd planned to anyway. That boy is really nothing but trouble."

"Thank you." Van leaned over to take a drink of water. "You are a very extraordinary girl to let me have my way in this."

"I'm not 'letting you have your way'. I'd do this anyway, but there is something really bad going on right now, isn't there? I followed the story in the news papers. What did you have to do with those people who were killed? Oh, at least tell me that much, please."

Van's attention was not on Hitomi but directed at some men coming into the dining room. He jaw was set. "Hitomi, get up and go to the wash room. Don't come back until those men are gone."

She hardly got a look at them before he was pushing her out of her seat.

"Go now," he said in an urgent whisper.

She got up and tried not to look at Van or the men that had just come in. Was this all a joke, or was something really serious going on? Perhaps it was because of those people who had died, but she was scared. Scared enough not to question Van, but just to do what he told her to do. He had saved her before. She would have to trust him.

Hitomi opened the door to the ladies room and went in. She went to the sink and turned on the faucet. She let the cold water run over her hands. She splashed a little on her cheeks, hoping that it would stop them from burning. She propped her palms against the edge of the sink and looked at the running water fall right into the drain. What was she going to do? She let the water run as she looked into the mirror over the sink. Her face looked so serious, she almost scared of herself. She turned off the tap, and took a paper towel to dried her hands and face with it. When she dropped the towel into the waste paper basket, she paced around the room for a moment. Was it safe to go look?

Her thoughts were uneasy as she stood in the empty washroom. Maybe she could sneak away, even better, maybe she _should_ sneak away. She opened the first stall and then the second. There might be a window in one of them. Then she could get away. There was a little window in the corner of the last stall. She went and inspected it, only to find that the dang thing was cemented shut. Even if she broke it, she wouldn't even be able to fit through it anyway.

Hitomi swallowed her fear and made up her mind that she would go look to see if those men were gone, or if Van had left her with the check. She couldn't help be a little suspicious. His behaviour was extremely strange. She opened the bathroom door and looked out into the dining room. To her surprise Van was standing just outside the door. She exhaled a deep breath.

"They've gone. But we can't stay here for very much longer." He took her hand. "I hope that you weren't too afraid."

"No I wasn't," she lied, trying her best to cover her anxiety.

They walked back to their table. When they got close to it, she saw the food and everything else on the table, ruined and over turned. The flowers in the vase were ripped to shreds and the vase was broken on the floor in front of the table.

Van told her to sit down quietly.

She brushed the bit of food on the seats onto the floor, and tried to sit down. Van pushed her gently farther into the booth so that he could sit down next to her. The other diners looked at them for a moment, displayed a worried look and then began again to eat their food, without saying anything to them.

Van called the waitress over and told her that they wanted their check.

"There's no need for that," the waitress said. "This meal will be on the house. I apologize for those thugs ruining your table. If you'd like to stay we'd be more than happy to move you to another table and prepare another meal for you."

"What happened anyway?" he asked.

"They said, they were here looking for their friend or something. The hostess said we didn't have a spare table and they burst into the dinning room saying they would find him themselves. The hostess stood up to them and they had a bit of a squabble. They ruined this table – I don't know why _this_ table, but . . ."

"I guess it was just bad luck," Van said dryly. "So, did you call the police?"

"Yes, they left after that. We're so sorry this happened. Can we replace your meal?"

"No, that won't be necessary. Thank you very much for your consideration."

With that he took Hitomi's hand and led her quietly out of the restaurant.


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Notes:_ _Why did I delete this book in the first place? Bah! I'm never deleting anything again. Boo! Okay, I didn't say any of that. Thanks to everyone who reviews. I appreciate it. _**  
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**Chapter Four**

Hitomi and Van pulled up in front of the apartment building Hitomi lived in. Van pulled the emergency brake and apologized once more for what happened in the restaurant.

"It's all right," she told him. "Things happen. I mean . . . those things don't usually happen, but things just happen."

He smiled slowly, "Things just like that happen to me all the time. I just deal with it."

"Were they really after _you_? Who were those men?"

"I don't know exactly who they were, but I know where they come from." He paused for a moment, and then went on, "But it was a pity that we couldn't have dinner like I planned. Perhaps next time."

"That isn't a very good answer to my question. Care to elaborate?"

"I'm sorry that I can't explain more than that," he said shrugging his shoulders and bending over the steering wheel. "I want to tell you much more, but I don't dare. The more you know the less safe you are. I don't know that you can take care of yourself, and I can't be with you all the time yet." Suddenly he brightened. "But I can give you this." He pulled a silver neck lace out of one of the front pockets of his jeans.

It was a simple chain, and Hitomi was disappointed when she looked at it at first, but hen she saw the pendant. It was something really special. It was a shiny pink stone almost like mother-of-pearl, but far too translucent for that. It was beautiful and she smiled with pleasure at the sight of it. It seemed a little strange to her to be accepting a gift from a guy who maybe cared about her. This was the kind of thing Hitomi thought was strictly reserved for boyfriends.

She took it in her hand and was about to put it in her pocket, as she wasn't sure yet how she felt about the present, but Van took her hand in his and took away the necklace. Then he undid the clasp and clipped it around her neck, skimming his fingertips across her skin as he moved away.

"It belongs on you," he said softly, and the look in his eyes seemed somehow warmer than before.

His fingers touching her throat sent shivers all through her skin.

"Thank you," she said uneasily.

"My pleasure."

"Do you want to come up with me?"

He looked across at her. "I would love to, but I can't. There's somewhere I have to be. I'll call you later." He opened the car door and got out.

As he strode towards the back of the car, she took off her seat belt and propped her head up on the head rest back wards, so she could look at him.

Van smiled at her again before he popped open the truck. He pulled her bag out and slammed the lid shut. "I'll try to come spend some time with you when I get the chance. Then we can see if we can have enough privacy for me to help this mess make sense to you. I'll even try to pick you up from school now and then. Would you mind it if I picked you up from school?"

"I'd like it," she admitted blushing uncontrollably.

"Then I'll try to be there on Monday." He walked up to her side of the car and opened the door for her. "And I'll even try to be on time," he said, bending down and hugging her

She went to put her arms around his neck, but he stood up too quickly. It ended up looking like she wanted him to lift her out of the convertible, instead of looking like she wanted more of a hug. So, he picked her up and set her down on her feet.

"Thank you again," she said as sweetly as she could, and tried not to feel stupid, even though she did.

"I'll call you later tonight. Good night." He got into the drivers' seat and drove away.

Hitomi watched him go from the boot room of her apartment building. The way he looked back at the apartment made her smile. She stood there and watched long after she couldn't see his car anymore. Only then did she turn around and unlock the inside door. She walked calmly up the many stairs on her way up to her hallway.

She was an idiot. The boy was obviously going to be a whole heap load of trouble – probably more than she could handle. If she had any brain at all she would send him away without a backward glance. But . . . what if he was a good guy who got drug into a bad situation through no fault of his own? Then if she discarded him, she'd be discarding a perfectly good hot boy for no reason. Better keep him around, just to make sure.

Her fingers found the pendant hanging from her neck. It was cold. She stuck it down her shirt thinking that it would get warm pretty quickly once it was down there for a little while. The chill metal shocked her skin when it fell. She might have thought that was strange if she had been in less of a daze, but since she was in a daze she didn't notice.

She opened the door to her apartment, and went in.

As soon as the door shut behind Hitomi, her mother came up to her. "You know Dilandau has been waiting here a whole hour? He called Millerna from over here trying to find out where you'd gone. Why didn't you at least call home to tell where you were going? Didn't you remember that Dilandau was coming?"

"I didn't have any plans with Dilandau, even though I should have called," she said looking into the empty living room. "Where is he now?" Hitomi asked seriously. She inched out of her shoes, and placed them next to the wall.

"He's in your room."

"Okay mom. Sorry, I meant to call," she apologized quickly and headed for her bedroom.

She opened the door and said to Dilandau shortly, "What are you doing here?"

He was lying on her bed (with his shoes on). "Hello to you too," he said with a charming smile, looking up from a manga he was reading. "What is up with you lately, girl? You've been acting weird lately."

"Have I? Is that just because I don't jump at the change to spend thirty seconds with you?" She gave him a long look. "What are you doing here Dilandau?"

"I though you might like to come out with me tonight," he said coolly.

"You didn't call."

"Do I have to call?"

"Yes, if you want to make sure I'm available, but that doesn't matter anymore. You have to go," Hitomi said, remembering her promise to Van.

He ignored what she said and went on talking, "Millerna told me that you went somewhere with Vince. Care to explain that to me?"

"What makes you think that I'd tell you anything?"

"He was over here last weekend, wasn't he? You introduced him to me."

"I remember. Now please, get your dirty feet off my bedspread Dilandau," she ordered irritably.

"Okay, no need to get so hostile. Are you going out with _him_ tonight?"

She noticed he hardly moved his shoes off the cover.

"No. I just came home from being out with him. Are you going to go anytime in the immediate future?" she continued demanding, and feeling like she was getting close to a rampage.

Just then Hitomi felt the cold of the pendant around her neck. It was still cold. As a matter of fact it was so cold that she had to pull it out of her shirt, because of how painful it was becoming. It reminded her quite forcefully of her promise to Van. She had to get Dilandau out of the apartment now.

"Get out," she said loudly.

"Why? I only just got here."

"No, my mom said you have been here an hour. This is the last time. Dilandau, get out!"

He got very defensive and sullen all of a sudden. "Hitomi, why are you doing this? I'm not a bad guy. Have I ever hurt you?"

She stopped him. "Why can't you just accept that I don't want to go out tonight, and I don't want to see you right now? You are so abusive most of the time – can't you take a little of your own back? You push me around all the time. Well, that's all over now. You have ten seconds to get out of this apartment. If you're still here after that I'll call the police." She snatched up the cordless phone and stood at the entrance to her room. "One," she practically yelled, as she looked straight into Dilandau's eyes.

"Okay. Okay. Okay." He got up off her bed and started towards the door. "Will you just tell me why you're so pissed off all of a sudden?"

Hitomi thought about what he asked. It did seem a little crazy that she should just start snapping at him for what seemed like no good reason. She exhaled a deep breath, and said calmly to him. "I need to be by myself right now. My outburst is probably strictly hormonal, but that doesn't change that you're up to four."

"Sheesh," he breathed, walking out of her bedroom.

As he was making his way down the hall way it looked like he might stop and talk to her mother for a moment.

To stop him Hitomi yelled down the hallway, "Five."

He visibly jumped to hear her yell so loudly, and opened the door to exit the apartment. He shut the door behind him with a loud bang.

Hitomi's mother, who had just come out of the kitchen, looked at Hitomi, "Why did he leave like that?"

Hitomi walked up to her mother and pointed the cordless phone at her. "Dilandau and I aren't really friends anymore. Don't let him in here again. Tell Marlene and papa. I'm cutting him off. If he calls, simply tell him that I'm not home and get off the phone as quickly as possible. Don't tell him where I've gone if I'm not home, and that goes for all personal information from now on. Don't tell him anything about my shoes laces to who I'm dating. Understand?"

Her mother looked perplexed. "Why? I thought that you liked him?"

"I did like him," Hitomi said hastily. "Things have changed. You didn't know this mom, but he treats me like garbage. I can't even remember the last time he was nice to me without wanting something back for it. I didn't want to say anything bad about him before, because I liked him so much I was blinded by it. But now, I want to date other people and I don't want Dilandau around to screw things up."

This was all true. In fact it was much truer than the fact that Van had asked her to not see Dilandau at all anymore. What Van had said had simply empowered her to conquer her problem. "He didn't ask you to do anything . . ." her mom stuttered.

"Bad?" Hitomi finished for her. "Don't worry about that. His idea of using me has always been something more along the lines of asking me to hold a flashlight."

After talking more about Diliandau with her mom and quieting some of her more serious fears about Hitomi's love life, Hitomi went back into her room; Van said that he would call. That probably wouldn't be anytime soon. She lay down on her bed and hoped that he wouldn't call in the middle of the night.

All of the things that happened were very strange. Why wasn't she scared to death of Van? People were dead it seemed, because of him. Yet she had the nerve to think that he was extremely good looking and want to spend more of her time with him. She remembered the upset table and the food on the floor of that restaurant. It appeared to be a dangerous situation, but she hadn't really panicked in the bath room. At least, she thought she had kept her head. Instead of being afraid she simply wanted to know more about Van, and he was so mysterious. She was more interested than warned.

She pulled her pillow close to her, and rested her head on it.

"Will he call soon?" she said out loud to herself.

4


	5. Chapter 5

****_Author's Notes: Thanks to everyone who is enjoying this story enough to drop me a line in the review box. Thank you!  
_

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**Chapter Five**

Millerna returned the serve to her partner. Her beautiful golden tresses bouncing in the light breeze as she swung her arm.

Hitomi looked up to see the tennis ball cross the line before she even had the chance to run after it.

"My point," Millerna yelled across at her. "That's game."

Hitomi caught the ball and walked towards her backpack. She took the cap off her bottled water and took a drink. "If you think that you're going to suck at the tournament, you are so wrong. You're going to clean house."

"You really think so?" Millerna asked as she walked up to her.

"I know so." She sat down with her back up against the chain link fence. "Do you want to play again?"

"No. I have to be at my Grandma's in a while. It's her birthday, and so we're having a family thing for her. She likes that sort of thing, but, I can't go before I tell you something."

"What is it?"

"I told you I had something important to tell you yesterday. I have wanted to tell you about this for so long but I was so afraid to. It's a long story and it's about Dilandau."

Hitomi was intrigued. What could Millerna possibly tell her about Dilandau that she didn't already know? "Go on," she encouraged.

"One night about a year ago, I was walking home from the club. I was alone. I didn't have enough for bus fare and I thought that if I hurried I wouldn't be out for very long. Anyway, I walked past an alley and I saw some guys beating on this girl. For a second I thought that it was you. She did look a lot like you, and I went into the alley and told them to stop it. They looked up at me, and the first face I recognized was Dilandau's. The girl was screaming and she looked so afraid. Her eyes were huge; I'll never forget the look in her eyes. Then I knew it wasn't you. Dilandau left the other guys at once and came up to me. He took my upper arm and marched me out of the alley. He told me that she was one of the other guys' girl friend and that she had cheated on him, for the last time. He told me it was none of my business, and if I wanted him to he would drive me home. I told him that I would rather walk, and I started to walk away from him. He didn't let go of my arm, and kept insisting that he give me a ride home. I broke away from him and told him I'd be fine. He didn't let me get very far before he grabbed me and slammed me against the wall. I was so scared. He was screaming at me something about how we were friends and friends didn't treat friends like that. Then the other guys in the alley came out, and the girl had stopped screaming. At the time I thought it was because she was so happy that they were leaving her alone. Dilandau drove me home, and told me that if I ever told anybody about what I saw, he really wouldn't like it, because that wasn't what friends did. He was so scary, Hitomi, I can't even explain it. I thought he would hurt me for certain if I breathed a word to anyone. For weeks I was so afraid of Dilandau I couldn't go near him, without remembering that look on that girl's face." Millerna started to cry, and Hitomi put her arm around her friend.

"Go on," Hitomi said quietly.

"Then the scariest thing happened. I was walking down the hall at school, and I saw her face on a Missing Children ad that was pinned to one of the bullet-in boards. I knew it was her right away. I saw her face every time I walked down that hall. Then a few days ago, Hitomi, you won't believe what happened. Her picture was crossed out. I went to the office and asked if they had found her and if that was why her face was crossed out. One of the guidance counsellor's came out and asked me if I knew her. I said that I had known her a little bit," Millerna snivelled to herself. "He took me into his office and told me that they found her body decaying in the basement of some abandoned building down town. Someone from the city was down there inspecting the gas line and they found her remains. I asked where, and it was by that alley Hitomi. They killed her. That very night they killed her." Millerna started to get hysterical - she was crying and breathing so hard.

Hitomi couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could Dilandau really have done anything that bad? All the time she had known him she suspected him capable of petty violence, but to actually have been involved in someone's murder . . . Hitomi couldn't breathe. "Why didn't you tell me about this before?" she muttered, hardly able to find her voice.

"I was so afraid of Dilandau," Millerna choked. "But Hitomi I have to tell you what happened last night after you and Vince dropped me off. Dilandau came over to my house. He asked me if I had told you anything about that girl. I told him over and over again that I hadn't told you anything. He hit me and yelled at me until he was convinced that I hadn't told you anything. I told him that you had a new boy and that he should get over it. I guessed he believed that, and he left me alone."

"Where were your parents?" Hitomi asked.

"They weren't home."

"You didn't go to the police when all of this was going on?"

"I was too afraid."

"Can't we go to the police now?"

"I don't know," Millerna gasped. It seemed that there was a rip-cord on her voice that had finally been yanked. Her voice was so broken by sobs that Hitomi could hardly understand what she was saying.

Hitomi hugged her friend and tried to soothe her, but she completely understood why she was reacting this way. Anyone would be afraid. It also explained so much of Millerna's behaviour and thoughts concerning Dilandau.

Once Millerna was calmer, Hitomi asked her again if she thought she would be able to talk to the authorities about what had happened.

"I finally told you about this, so maybe I could tell the police," she said. "I know that Dilandau would freak though. Hitomi, I won't be safe if I tell anyone. Who knows what horrible things one of his friends could do to me if Dilandau told him to. I don't know if I'm strong enough to tell on them."

Hitomi could definitely understand her friend's fear, but couldn't bear the idea of those boys getting off the hook for something so completely evil. She had to help Millerna so she wouldn't lose her nerve. "Could you if I came with you?" Hitomi persisted.

"I'm not sure." Millerna tried her best to dry her eyes with her fingers. "If Dilandau finds out that I told you what happened, I'm certain he'll do something terrible. He asked me not to tell you, but I couldn't stand it. Besides, I think he thinks you already know. If that makes any sense. So, you might as well know everything. No, I don't think I could go to the police."

"Millerna, we have to. We can't let them get away with this. It's too wrong. Think of the poor girl's family."

"Look Hitomi, I really don't need to hear this from you. I have been carrying around this horrible burden. How could you possibly know what or who I've thought would be affected by that girls' death. No one has thought about it more than me," Millerna snapped.

"Sorry. I shouldn't have said what I did," Hitomi said humbly.

Millerna sighed. "Can I think about it for a little while?"

"How long?"

"A week, or . . . something like that. Besides, as long as you don't tell Dilandau that I told you anything, I'm safe."

Hitomi absently rubbed Millerna's back and realized that she wasn't seeing this from her perspective. If she was, she would be more understanding of her fear. What Millerna saw must have been pretty scary, even if the girl was only being beaten up. The rest must have been too much to handle.

But then, from what Millerna said, it didn't sound like Dilandau realized that Millerna knew the girl had died.

Millerna got up and gathered her things together, and got up. "I'm going to be late if I hang around here much longer. Thank you for listening to me. I know that I should have told you earlier, but I was just so afraid. You don't know what that kind of fear is. I promise, and you are so lucky not to have any idea of how paralysing it can be. If you did you would know why I didn't go to the police." She stood up and put her tennis racket back into its cover. "Thanks again for listening. I am so glad that you decided that Dilandau wasn't worth the trouble. I was so worried about you when you seemed to like him so much. That was another reason why I didn't tell you before. I thought that you maybe wouldn't believe me, and that you wouldn't want me as a friend when I said lies like that about the guy you liked."

"I don't think that I would have thought you made up a story like that. I have never thought that Dilandau was a kind person. I very well may have believed every word that you said. It might have been difficult, but I think eventually you would have got it through my thick skull. Okay? Don't ever think that I valued Dilandau more than you. It isn't true. Not ever."

"Thank you Hitomi." Millerna walked over and hugged her. "I really have to go now or I will be so late. I don't want to miss my bus as well, so I'll see you on Monday. Okay?"

"Okay."

Hitomi watched Millerna as she ran along by the chain link fence to the gate. What had that girl been carrying around for months? She wished more than anything that she hadn't been so blinded by her crush on Dilandau to notice that something was bothering her friend. Millerna hadn't even thought that she could talk to her about something that important. That hurt! The fact that she had confided in her eventually didn't make her feel much better about what had happened, but suddenly Hitomi was grateful that she had thought to threaten to call the police when she wanted Dilandau out of the apartment.

There was just one more thing that was bothering her. The thing that made her sick to her stomach. That girl they killed looked like her. Was it Dilandau's girl friend who had been unfaithful, and he liked girls who looked like that. Suddenly she felt like she was going to throw up. That's when the thought occurred to her. Did Dilandau think that _she_ had cheated on him with Van? If he did, then her life was worth little more than that other girl's. She practically fell back onto the chain link fence. She gripped her stomach. She shook and trembled.

She bit her lower lip. What was she going to do? Panic seized her. What was she going to do? She got up and quickly picked up all her tennis equipment. Even though she didn't know what she should do, she knew one thing for sure, staying around at the tennis courts couldn't help. She had played tennis at these courts with him before. She didn't want to be anywhere where he might be able to find her. What was she going to do? She could talk to the police. She could go with Millerna and tell them that she was afraid. They would be able to help her, wouldn't they?

She shook her head in confusion. The afternoon sun beat down on her. She was getting a head ache. She shouldn't have played that long with Millerna, knowing like she did that the long bus ride home, wasn't likely to be cooler than hanging out under the blazing sun.

She opened the cage door, and closed it behind her carefully. She was becoming so jumpy that she even walked softer on the concrete. The question still hounded her; what was she going to do? It was so hot, and her head ache was getting worst. She could hardly keep herself standing, let alone think.

She was incredibly thankful when the bus pulled up.

She stepped onto the bus looking at the floor and she accidentally bumped into someone. She muttered a quick apology as she attempted to get by.

"Hitomi? Funny meeting you here!"

She looked up at Dilandau. Her heart sunk. She was determined not to let him see that she was scared out of her mind, so she raised one eyebrow and said, "Yes, very funny."

The bus started to move. She again tried to step past her, but he put out his arm to stop her. She turned and gave him an angry glare.

"Now Hitomi, why do you want to be like that?"

She wasn't interested in any sort of conversation, so she ducked under his arm and stepped down the centre of the bus to a seat that looked far enough away from the monster. She had to walk carefully, because the bus was moving. When he sat down beside her it was obvious to her that there wasn't any getting away from him until one of them got off the bus, and maybe not even then.

"What exactly do you want Dilandau?" she asked coldly.

He smiled. "What makes you think that I want something?"

"Haven't I expressed that I'm not interesting in seeing you anymore? I thought that you might have gotten the hint by now."

"Can't we still be friends? I mean can't I sit by you on the bus for a few minutes?"

"If I believed that was all you were looking for, I might consider it, but I don't. Now what do you want? Really?"

"For us to be friends. Really!"

"Look Dilandau, the time for that is over." She tried her best to stick to the facts she knew before she met Van, before she talked to Millerna. "You have blown hot and cold ever since I've met you and I don't trust you to just be friends with me, because even though you claim you thought about asking me out . . . I think there was an excellent chance that you would have changed your mind in a week or so and broken it off. You might have asked to be friends after that just like now. Do you think that I want to be played that way? I would rather not have anything to do with you and have an end to it." Her anger was giving her strength to overcome her fear and face him like she did the night before.

"Have I really treated you like that?"

He had a look of total innocence on his face, and if Hitomi had not heard what she had just heard from Millerna it would have been impossible not to side with him.

"Yes," she said bluntly and turned away.

"I'm sorry Hitomi," he said softly. A few moments later he asked gently, "Do you think that you could give me another chance?"

"NO! Dilandau, how dare you? No more chances and no more excuses. I have given you a million chances in my head. 'I'll let it go this time', and 'he'll be better next time,' I've thought."

He opened his mouth to say something.

Hitomi cut him off before he had the chance. "No Dilandau," she said sternly.

"That's okay Hitomi. This is my stop anyway." He got up and walked to the exit.

She didn't look to see whether he looked at her one last time or not. She didn't care. She did catch the eye of a woman sitting across the way from her. Then she realized that everyone was staring at her. She had practically been yelling at Dilandau, and everyone in the bus had heard. He must have noticed their stares as well. That was why he hadn't tried again to convince her that he needed a second chance. She had embarrassed him! The thought was most profound. No one had possibly embarrassed Dilandau in his whole life. She smiled a little at that. He thought he was so cool.

A little old man sitting in the corner called over to her, "Way to give him hell."

She smiled at him and looked out the window, just a little satisfied that she might have hurt him. But he must be furious.

5


	6. Chapter 6

****_Author's Notes: Well, even if I shouldn't have deleted this story and even if the reviews are few, at least a lot of people are reading this. So, if you're reading this, please review. Thanks!_

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**Chapter Six**

Hitomi waited around the rest of the weekend hoping that Van would call her, but he didn't. She felt flat as she stepped up the school steps Monday morning. He must have been busy, but that didn't change the fact that she really wished that he had called.

Hitomi scanned the halls looking for Millerna. She hadn't spoken since their conversation at the tennis courts on Saturday. Hitomi had thought a lot about what Millerna said, and was anxious to try again to convince the girl to go to the police. Hitomi didn't find her and the morning wore on as it usually did. Third period was the first class that they shared. It was math. Hitomi walked into the room and saw Millerna sitting at her desk looking . . . what was the word? Faded? Exactly! Millerna looked completely unkempt, which was unlike her. Millerna was usually the height of fashion, but now she looked like she hadn't changed out of the pyjamas she had worn to bed the night before, as she was wearing jogging pants and a white T-Shirt. Hitomi was positive she'd seen the same getup at a slumber party at some time or another.

Hitomi said hello and sat down in the desk beside her. "Have you changed your mind?" she asked in hushed tones.

"Can you come with me tonight?" Millerna asked kind of quietly.

"To the police station?" Hitomi questioned, hoping desperately that was what Millerna had in mind.

Millerna nodded. "I can't wait another second. You were right. I can't wait to go and get this horrible feeling off my chest. I almost think that we should skip school."

The next few moments were ones of indescribable horror. Hitomi had a difficult time afterwards remembering exactly what happened and how. As far as she could later remember, she had been about to tell Millerna that she didn't think skipping school was a very good idea, when a boy Hitomi didn't know burst into the classroom. His face was painted red, and he was carrying a rifle in his black trench coat. He let out a blood-curdling yowl and let out three shots into their classroom before turning and running into the hall. Hitomi span around to see if anyone had been hurt, when she heard a strangled gulp next to her ear.

Millerna had been shot.

Hitomi screamed and rushed over to her friend. The blood was draining from the wound that went straight through her chest; a mark right beside her heart.

"Millerna!" Hitomi cried as she threw her arms around her, and pulled her friend out of her chair to lie on the floor by her desk. She ground her teeth together, and tried in vain to contain her absolute horror at the situation. The panic that rose up in her chest went straight into her head and she thought perhaps she would faint. The paramedics had to come right away! Was anyone doing anything to help?

One of the teachers was on the phone installed by the door, and was explaining the situation, but Millerna's injury looked wretched. Would they be able to make it in time?

Hitomi looked down at Millerna. She wasn't even crying.

Hitomi grasped her hand, and tried her best to wait for the ambulance without going into hysterics.

It didn't talk long for the medics to arrive, but to Hitomi, every second was agony. They rushed around Millerna preparing her for the ambulance, and were calm and efficient. They told Hitomi that she wouldn't be allowed to go with them in the ambulance, because another boy had been hurt and a couple other students in other class rooms. Hitomi hardly heard them, but she did pick up the account of where the three bullets fired into her classroom had hit. Besides the one that hit Millerna, one of the other students had been shot in the arm and the last bullet had hit the ceiling. Hitomi still cried uncontrollably, watching Millerna as best she could with her tear scarred eyes.

As they wheeled Millerna and the other students down the hall, a custodian offered to take her to the hospital. The principal was going and a couple other hysterical students. But it was all a blur to Hitomi. When they told her where she should go to get a ride to the hospital she practically ran down the hall to the parking lot. She bounded into the mini van. Once they got going she sat there begging the driver to drive faster.

"Do you want to go to the emergency room for injuries as well Hitomi?" was the only comment she got, but it didn't change the fact that she thought that they were still driving unbelievably slowly.

When they pulled up to the hospital, Hitomi was the first out of the van. She ran down through the rows and rows of parked cars. The automatic doors in front of the hospital weren't working near fast enough for her, as she almost slammed into one of them. She rushed like a mad man down the halls and was grabbed by a security guard who had to hold her as she explained in broken English that she had to get to the emergency room. After trying to restrain her several times, he just decided to escort her there. When they finally got there, she found out that Millerna had been rushed to surgery and would be there.

The security guard grabbed her arm. "There is nothing you can do," he told her in a gruff voice.

Her mind raced. There had to be something she could do. There just had to be. She had to talk to a police officer, but she knew that there had to be one coming soon. However, Hitomi was in no state to wait for them. The security guard looked awfully official in his navy blue uniform and before she knew was she was saying, she was confiding. "Listen, you have to listen to me. That girl in the operating room was a witness to a murder. She was going to go to the police station today after school and tell them everything that happened. They need to talk to her."

The security guard didn't seem convinced that anything Hitomi said was important because he answered her saying, "No. Little girl, you listen to me. You have blood all over you. Did you even notice that?" he asked in a commanding tone.

The brusqueness of his voice jolted Hitomi out of her disoriented condition and she looked down at herself. It was true. She had Millerna's blood all over her. It seemed to be everywhere. It was splashed vermilion across her shirt. It was dried and cracked on her bare arms. When she thought of it as having part of her friend all over her shirt, she fell to her knees and cried. What was she going to do? She cried and cried.

The security guard left her on the floor and went to go get a nurse. He told her something about Hitomi's situation and left the nurse to watch Hitomi while he went to go do something or other. The nurse put her arms around her and helped her to stand up. She mumbled some comforting things to Hitomi, but she didn't hear her. Not really. The nurse walked with her down the hall, and into a bathroom, and helped her to wash some of the blood off.

By this time Hitomi had calmed herself considerably. She laid her head down on the bathroom floor. She didn't even care how dirty the floor could be. She drifted into a stupor. She woke up hearing the sounds of high heels tapping on the tile. She opened her eyes. The nurse was still standing there.

Then she turned her head to see the high heels were her mother's. She had come to the hospital and found Hitomi lying on the floor in a little puddle of watery blood. Her mother was calm, but she had obviously been crying too. She thanked the nurse for her help, and the woman left. Hitomi's mother sat down beside her, seemingly unaware of the fact that she was getting her skirt and panty hose pink with the blood. "Do you know what has happened?"

"Not exactly," Hitomi muttered.

"From what I've heard from your principal, an angry group of boys went through you high school and shot in all the classrooms they could before they got caught."

Hitomi didn't exactly answer but nodded her head and asked, "It's been hours since I got here, hasn't it?"

"Well, it's four o-clock," she answered after examining her wrist watch.

"Is Millerna out of surgery?"

"Yes, Millerna is out of surgery," she said slowly. "I'm sorry honey, but they don't think she'll make it. She lost a lot of blood and where the bullet hit was unlucky." She leaned over and put her arms around her daughter. "I'm sorry," she said softly into her hair after kissing her on her head. "Bad things happen to good people sometimes."

Hitomi wanted to cry even more, but she found herself all cried out. Her lower lip trembled as her mother stoked her hair. She thought about Millerna dying, and she found that she could still cry. What was she going to do? She put a burning hand to her burning fore head. She had to make some effort to pull herself together. After all, Millerna needed her. She took one final gulp and cranked her tears back. She was handed a tissue from the dispenser. Carefully she tried her best to regain just a little bit of her composer, even though it seemed impossible to get a hold of.

"There are news people waiting outside the bathroom. They really want to talk to you. Don't. We'll get through the crowd easily enough, but don't talk to them all right?"

"All right mom. I'm glad you came. Everything just seems to be happening so fast. I can't control hardly anything can I?" she muttered.

Just then something occurred to Hitomi. She remembered Van sitting on her bed after that mess when those three people died outside the tattoo parlour. He was losing it, not exactly like she was losing it now, but she was certain he would understand what she was going through. She wished that she could talk with him. She never did get his phone number. He said he would try to pick her up from school. Did he show up today and she missed him? He had gone through such lengths to protect her that one night; it was a pity that there was nothing that he could do to protect Millerna. Maybe he would still come. Maybe he would hear about what happened on the news and come to find her.

Her mom helped her to her feet. Hitomi didn't even look in the mirror to see if she looked like a wreck. She knew she did. She didn't care. She didn't care if the reporters took pictures of a wreck.

She opened the door. She went first with her mother behind her. Sure enough there were reporters and camera men. Her eyes went straight to a television camera. It paralysed her. She looked at it and she saw herself being shown on the news like that man with the dragon tattooed on his neck being forced into a police cruiser. She could hear the reporter explain in that ultra calm voice about how tragedy struck a local high school in a deadly shooting. She wasn't angry. It wasn't their fault what people would pay to see, or what they would flip their televisions to. That wasn't the problem, but she knew that something was really wrong.

Her mother pushed on her back. It took a second or two for it to register that she should walk through the crowd. As soon as they got a little out in the open, her mother helped her to run to the area the press wasn't allowed into.

As they walked down the deserted hallway, with the shouting news crews behind them, her mother's high heels tapped on the cold tiled floor. Hitomi hardly felt her arm around her shoulders. It seemed like the longest walk down to the room where Millerna's family waited. Finally, she saw Millerna's mother and father standing at the end of the hall. She didn't hasten her pace. She couldn't think of a good reason to, and even if she had, she might not have been able to make her legs do it.

"Hello Mrs. Aston," Hitomi said weakly.

The mother, so much like her daughter, put her arms around Hitomi. "I'm so glad that you were there with her." She sobbed almost uncontrollably. "Please stay with us until we know what will happen," the woman was finally able to say.

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	7. Chapter 7

_Author's __Notes: Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Someone hinted in a review that I might not update in a timely fashion. I update every Thursday. You can count on it. I only won't if I'm in the hospital. And even though I acknowledge that could easily be the case, I have a really good track record of updating every Thursday. I've been doing it for like the past eight years. So, you can count on getting chapter eight next Thursday. Please review!_**  
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**Chapter Seven**

Hitomi sat on the tile floor of the hospital. She was practically crouched up into a ball next to the wall. She wasn't crying. She didn't have another tear left in the world to shed, even if she wanted to. She sat there considering all the things that had happened. What was she going to do? Right now she was waiting for her turn to be interviewed by a police officer. She couldn't wait for her turn – finally someone would listen to her. All the other students who had seen anything had been interviewed hours ago, but she was last.

The boy, who was also shot in the math room, had hardly been nicked by the bullet. He wasn't even going to be kept in the hospital overnight for observation. He was fine. Two other boys had been hurt in different classrooms as well. One boy was shot in the foot, and the other was shot in the arm as well. Those two were in worse shape. Hitomi hadn't been told exactly how serious their injuries were, but they were both going to be fine. She didn't know either of them anyway. Most of the shots fired hit the walls or the ceiling. Apparently, the school was a mess.

Millerna's injury had been the only one that was life threatening. She was still in critical condition. There were lots of people waiting to see if she would live. It was a bit of relief when the officer asked Hitomi if he could interview her. She was glad she wouldn't have to look at Millerna's saddened parents, at least for a few minutes. It really hurt Hitomi to look at them. While they had waited at first Hitomi could lean on her own mother, and cry a little bit on her if she needed to. Then, her mother suggested that Hitomi really needed a change of clothing left her alone with Millerna's parents and sister, to go get one for her. Her shirt was caked in blood and really needed to be changed. Just a few minutes after her mother had gone, the officer asked to see her. Those few minutes alone with the family were awful. Hitomi was really no help or comfort to anyone. She just sat on the floor and came silently unglued. But now she had waited outside the office for a half an hour at least when her mother came with some clean clothes. Hitomi knocked on the door and told the officer that she was going to go change. She went and came back as quickly as she could, but he still wasn't finished with the last student.

Finally the door opened, and the boy who was skidded with a bullet in the arm was walking out of the room. He didn't look at Hitomi as he walked away. His arm was bandaged, but he looked all right to her.

She looked up at the officer. He was a middle aged man with who had probably been on the job for at least twenty years.

"Hitomi, would you please step inside?" he said professionally.

She got up and followed him into the room. It was simple setup with a table and two chairs set around it. He closed the door behind him, and pulled a chair out for her. She obediently slid into it, and he assumed the one across the table from her. He pushed a piece of paper in front of her.

"I'm officer Freid. I'd like you to tell me about what happened this morning, but first, is this information correct?"

She looked down at the form. Why, it was nothing but a card listing her personal information, like where she lived and her birthday. She examined it for a moment and then answered confidently, "Yes."

"Do you know any of the boys who were involved in the shooting?"

"I don't think so. The guy who came into my classroom looked like a stranger to me." She had to tell the officer about the murder Millerna had witnessed. If she didn't tell him, they might never find out who had actually killed that girl. "Did the security guard tell you what I told him?"

"No."

"That Millerna was a witness to a murder? She was going to come to the station with me this afternoon to tell the police about what had happened."

The police officer looked right astounded. "Really? Who's murder was this?"

"She didn't know the name of the girl. I have a friend - his name is Dilandau Albatou. Millerna was walking home at night in the city. She saw Dilandau and his friends beating this girl up." Hitomi was having a hard time pacing herself, but she tried to tell everything in the right order, and to not talk so quickly that the man wouldn't be able to understand her. "This was about a year ago. Millerna thought that the girl was me, and so she interrupted them. When Dilandau saw her he turned around, and told her that it wasn't any of her business, and if she told anybody then something bad would happen. Then Millerna saw the girl's face on a Missing Children's poster that was hung up in the school. One day the girl's picture was crossed out. She went to the office and asked what had happened. She found out that the girl had been found dead and rotted away in a building in the city. They killed her!"

The police officer looked at her sceptically. "Why didn't she come to the police?"

"She told me that she was too afraid of Dilandau. He threatened her and she didn't want to take the chance."

"I'll be able to contact you about that if I need to, won't I?"

"Of course," Hitomi said, feeling that the officer wasn't nearly interested enough in what she had to say. She was talking about a murder! Weren't police officers interested in solving crimes?

"All right," he said, taking a piece of paper in hand, "then I have other questions to ask you."

He asked her various questions about the order of events leading up to the shooting, and acknowledged her answers, as probably every other teenager he questioned that day had said nearly the same thing. At last he seemed to be finishing up when he cleared his throat and asked seriously, "Are you, or have you been connected to any criminal activity?"

"No," she said quietly, but just as she said it, she knew it was a lie. She remembered that man with the dragon tattoo, Gaddes, and the ravaged dinning room table. She was connected to criminal activity, very loosely, but still connected. What should she do? Should she tell what she knew about Van? But, she couldn't think how that could help anything. What was happening to Millerna seemed to be nothing more complicated than a school shooting. It was merely a coincidence that Millerna had been shot on the very day that . . . she planned to go to the police? Was it only an accident or was it something that happened deliberately? What should she do?

Then the officer asked, "Have you ever heard of a criminal organization known as the Dragon Slayers?"

"No."

"I don't think I have anything else to ask you right now Hitomi. I'll get in touch with you if I need to." He got up from his chair and said, "Thank you for you time, miss." He held out his hand, and Hitomi shook it.

He led her to the door. The solid feel of his hand made her feel more confident about what she had told him. He probably needed to speak to Millerna directly about the murder before he could do anything. He needed solid proof and Hitomi's hearsay wouldn't stand up in court. She stepped out into the hall thinking that things would be fine. Millerna too, she thought promisingly as she went down the hall in search of Millerna's room.

She turned the corner and saw Van leaning against the wall. She was taken aback when she saw him, but very glad that he had come.

When he saw her coming he uncrossed his arms and reached for Hitomi to comfort her.

"You heard what happened?" she asked.

"Yes," he said looking concerned. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she said, feeling happy that he was worried about her.

Van caught her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "We should go. I need to talk to you," he whispered into her ear in a quiet voice.

She knew very well that they did need to talk, but she was tired and the ultimate sadness of the day was wearing hard on Hitomi. Her sorrow seemed to be slipping from her and she was soon only able to feel numb. She allowed Van to soothe her and guide her back through the hallway. Her head was too muddled; she was too grief-stricken to know where he was taking her. She was simply following his lead.

She reminded herself there was no reason for her to trust Van. He had helped her that one night, but she felt that there was no reason for him to want to help her, or a way to prove that he was a man she could rely on. It wasn't important. She felt safe now that he was there anyway.

He held a door to a room open for her. There was a huge sign over the door, but Hitomi didn't bother to read it. It was the hospital's cafeteria.

"What do you want to eat?" he asked her.

"Nothing. I don't feel good," she said touching her stomach.

"Look," he said to her. "You probably haven't eaten anything in hours, and I am not interested in letting you starve. You don't want me to pick for you, because if you don't like it," he sat her down at a table, and continued, "we'll have to stay here until you finished every last bite."

"I don't care what you pick for me, Van. Just don't get too much, I don't want to be force fed, and then throw up on top of everything else. Okay?"

A slight smile claimed his lips as if he understood and he said gently to her, "Okay." He pushed her chair in, and went to the end of the line up.

Hitomi watched him as he methodically picked up a tray, and then made his way past all the little glass coolers. Watching him was an excellent diversion for her thoughts. This whole thing seemed too nightmarish – too cruel – and it was far too late to pray that she would open her eyes and the whole thing would turn out to be a dream. At least he was good looking and distracting her from thinking about Millerna.

She swallowed hard - Millerna. Leaning back in her chair she thought bitterly of how badly fate had treated them. She bit her finger and waited impatiently for Van to finish at the register. He was giving her too much time to think.

It wasn't long before Van was back at the table with a tray of food. "Eat what you like, but you do have to eat. Understand?"

"It looks like you bought everything."

"Everything, but jell-o," he said opening a container of chocolate milk.

She picked up the roast beef sandwich and began to peel off the plastic. Then she asked Van, "Do you know who the Dragon Slayers are?"

He had been about to take a drink, but he put the carton back on the table and gave her a level look. "Do you?"

"Just answer the question Van," she said irritably. She was feeling too detached from herself to be polite.

"Yes."

She lifted the sandwich and took a bite. He took a drink and neither of them said a word.

At length she continued, "Do you belong to them?"

His eyes widened. "No. Where would you get an idea like that? They're maniacs. Besides, do you have any idea what they would do to me if they ever got a hold of me?" He took a furious breath and then continued more gently, "Hitomi, I wanted to be able to take my time explaining all of this to you, but what happened today has made that impossible. Things have spun totally out of control. I can hardly believe how fast things have fallen to crap – in the worst way. But I have to know your involvement. Do you know who the Dragon Slayers are?"

"A criminal organization?" she answered weakly, parroting what the police officer had told her.

He gave her a long sideways look – like he wasn't sure how to interpret her comment.

"I don't know anything else. Really," she admitted lamely. "Please tell me about it."

"Well, at least you're right. It's a syndicate. You know what that is, right?"

She nodded.

"There are a lot of members in this city, and the number is doubling all the time. The initiation is pretty ugly. From what I understand, the wannabe member has to complete a task laid out by the higher-ups and it's never an easy thing to accomplish. Sometimes they die or end up in prison for things that are really beside the point."

"Are they mobsters?"

"I suppose in the loosest sense of the word. I thought you said you knew what the word 'syndicate' meant," he smiled at her slip-up and went on. "They do all kinds of inhumane things. Where did you hear that name Hitomi? Even though Dilandau is one of them, it seemed to me like he was keeping it secret from you."

"He didn't talk to me about it. I was interviewed by a police officer just before you showed up. He asked me if I knew what it was. That's all."

He shook his head in dismay, "So the police know about them. Police really are useless, aren't they?"

"Not totally useless. He promised that he would do something about Millerna."

"What can he possibly do for Millerna at this point?"

Hitomi did her best to explain to Van what Millerna had seen in the alley way. She had no reason to trust him, but she found that she did anyway. She couldn't help it – his eyes were so . . . honest.

"Millerna was the one who saw that?" he exclaimed, frowning at the table. "I'm desperately sorry Hitomi. We knew that someone saw that girl get beat up by Dilandau's crew, but all arrows pointed to you. I, for one, never dreamed that Millerna was the witness to that. Honestly, that was why I followed you to the club that night and made sure you got home safely. I was trying to protect the girl who saw that. All of us figured it had to be you after we saw how Dilandau acted towards you. It seemed you liked him and that was why you hadn't told anyone about it, but it wasn't you at all."

"That was why you wanted to protect me?" she asked, suddenly understanding that it was only a mistake that he had been there for her at all.

He nodded.

"Were you going to try to convince me to testify in court or something? Well, not me – Millerna – the girl who saw that," Hitomi stuttered, feeling extraordinarily disheartened at the truth that Van had not really meant to have anything to with her – it had only been a misunderstanding.

"No, it was something much more important," he said slowly. "You mustn't blame yourself for what happened. It was an honest mistake, though I'm very sorry that it turned out this way for Millerna," he said miserably. "I am certain that was no ordinary school shooting. As a matter of fact, those boys who went tearing through your school didn't even go to school there. Isn't it strange that the other students were hardly harmed? No, Millerna was the target. I mentioned before that the Dragon Slayers have a hard initiation. I think those boys were trying to join the ranks and that was what they were asked to do. Make the elimination of a dangerous witness against their organization look like an accident or a coincidence. Dilandau must have been holding out on giving the order for it on your account. I think he liked you Hitomi, a lot more than he was admitting to you, or to anyone else. He didn't go through the trouble of silencing Millerna, because he didn't want to scare you off. And now that you've broken ties with him, there was nothing to stop him from proceeding. Dilandau is definitely very much in love with you – very much."

"Dilandau love me? Yeah right!" she said, starting to laugh at the incredibility of it all.

"It's the only reason I can think of. Otherwise he would have ensured her silence ages ago."

"What exactly did _you_ want to find out from Millerna?" she asked.

"Who was there? Why she said anything to them in the first place?"

"She told me. The only person in the group she recognized was Dilandau."

"Well yes, Hitomi," he breathed. "We thought that was why you, or she, talked to them."

"That wasn't why. The reason she walked in on them was because she thought the girl looked like me. Can you imagine the courage it must have taken her to interrupt that group of guys? She thought it was me, and that's why."

"That's why she walked in on it?" he sounded down right shocked. He stood up suddenly, and said, "That's it, then."

"Please don't go yet," she begged, wondering what he had suddenly figured out. "I promised myself that I would get some answers out of you and all I've done is answer questions for you. Who exactly is the 'we' you were talking about?"

Van sat back down. "What?"

"'We' did this. 'We' thought that. Who is 'we' Van?" she tried to say in a steady voice, and failed.

"It's complicated," he said. "You know there are people besides you and Millerna who have been stomped down by the Dragon Slayers," he kept his voice as quiet as possible, even though there was no one in the cafeteria but them. "Lots of them actually, people who have had terrible things happen to them. There is also a possibility that the police department is in on it too, because things get reported to the cops all the time, and we watch to see what they will do. Nothing ever happens. The Dragon Slayers do the most unspeakable things to people and nothing happens, through the law. 'We' is a group that has decided to counter them."

"That's wrong Van. It's not up to us to see that criminals get what's coming to them."

"No? What about Millerna?"

"And you think that those boys who shot her were part of the Dragon Slayers and that nothing will happen to them?"

"No, they'll go to jail. They probably won't be there for very long, but they _will_ go to jail. You see, when the media gets involved justice must be served, to an extent. There has already been way too much publicity for them to get those boys off now. The masses would be outraged."

"What about those guys who killed those three people earlier?" Hitomi demanded. "What exactly was the deal with that? You seemed pretty involved."

"Those men were mine - all four of them actually. Despite my behaviour, I really don't like fighting and when someone agrees to help our cause they have to promise that they will never take the life of anyone. Of course there are exceptions - self defence, etc., but it's the most important thing we swear to. Two of them broke the rule. They panicked that night and did something that was violently against our rules. After that point we disowned them and they were left to protect themselves. One of them was so upset by everything that happened, he committed suicide. The other one will be in jail for much longer than those boys involved in the school shooting. No one will help get him out early. The other two were released right away with no charges pressed."

"Why don't you help? They're on your side, aren't they?"

"Hitomi, you don't understand what my side is then. After seeing Millerna shot, you still don't understand what an ugly thing murder is. How can you ask me to sympathize with a killer? I don't care if those boys were working with me to begin with. I am trying to stand up for those people who have been tortured, raped and murdered. How can I thank my men when they commit the same atrocities as the enemy? I can't fight the Dragon Slayers the way that they fight me. I will never win that way. Can't you understand?" he asked passionately. "I have never killed anyone, and it causes me extreme sorrow to know that people are hurting and sometimes dying," he continued, not seemed to notice how distressed Hitomi was becoming.

The strength of his words was making her choke. Her cold hand found its way to her forehead. She gulped down on her pain and said slowly, "Yes, I think I do now. It's a very good rule."

"Anything else you want to tell me?" she asked in soft tones.

"I'll explain what my people were doing when they killed those three people. Generally, we don't know where the Dragon Slayers have their bases. They have several, as they are quite a strong syndicate. We have been trying to figure out where they are, but so far we have only been able to find a few. After Gaddes and the others dropped you and me off at the club, they went down a few blocks with the intention of burning down one of the Dragon Slayers storage warehouses. It was at a time of night when we knew that no one would be there. It wasn't a very important building, but since most of their buildings are well hidden, we like to take the empty ones out of the equation. That place was a rat hole, and they were only storing a couple crates of cigarettes, but no one was inside. It was sort of like a military target. They burned it down, like they were supposed to. Those murdered people weren't connected to the fire, but the married couple happened to see Gaddes and the others break into the building. What happened was really appalling," he paused and looked towards the cafeteria doors. "Things weren't supposed to end up as they did. It was damned sloppy."

Suddenly he seemed to forget what he was talking about. He stopped and looked at Hitomi. "You haven't eaten hardly anything. Here I wanted you to eat and I'm just scaring you to death." He looked at her face, and said, "I wish that I could have taken my time explaining all this to you. It is a great deal to take in."

She set the sandwich down. She had been holding it all that time. "I'm sorry Van; I don't really feel like eating."

"I've upset you?"

"I was upset before you got here."

He plucked a grape off the little vine in one of the dishes. He popped it into his mouth with seeming irreverence for the tragedy that had just unfolded before Hitomi. "You can't let things get to you so much that you can't act," he said as he helped himself to another grape. "Horrible things have been happening lately. You have to be stronger than that. If you let what's happened control you, you will never be able to do any good. I don't mean having no sorrow for what has happened, but to have a good cry over it and then push it out of your mind so that you can get to work without distractions." He offered her a grape.

She bit into it and said, "You act like I am very involved in this."

"I'm sorry, but you are. I wanted to keep you out of it, but you were doomed to be it this fight somehow. Dilandau doesn't keep people around for no reason. I think he had a reason for keeping you around. What I mean is that the moment you took up friends with him you were going to end up in this fight - no matter what." He handed her another grape. "I really appreciated the trust you placed in me. You didn't demand answers about those murders, or the fiasco at the restaurant, and I had the hardest time wondering why."

"But now you're being all honest with me. Is there anything that you're not telling me?"

"Only that I really want you to be on our side."

"What exactly does that mean? To be on your side?"

"I'd really like you to move in with me," he said searching her eyes and giving her the most charming smile.

She caught her breath. "That was really sudden," was the only think she could think of to say. "I'm a high school student! How could I possibly move in with you? It's crazy! I don't even know you very well." But even with all her objections and in the midst of her own personal crisis, she was secretly alight with excitement. Living with him? It would be . . .

He laughed a little. "Please don't get the wrong idea. I think you're not really in the safest position living in your parents' apartment. Plus, I think _they'd _be a lot safer too if you didn't live with them."

Once he explained himself, she was more able to keep herself somewhat calm. So, it wasn't that he liked her. "Still, you want me to leave my family?" she said. The thought was unheard of, and one she thought that she couldn't possibly consider. Sure she was moving out at the end of this school year, but to go early just seemed impossible. "Are you out of your mind?"

"Have you not listened to a word I've said?"

"It sounds too horrible to be true. I'm not sure that I believe you."

"Hitomi stop. Listen to me."

"No. Not another word. I'm very willing to listen to everything that you have to say, but when it comes to taking actions such as moving me away from my family before I've turned eighteen, I have to take a minute and evaluate the situation. I have lived in this city my whole life and I find it impossible to believe that all of what you've said has actually happened. That there is this big scary syndicate running amuck seems a little farfetched. I'll have to do some research on my own to convince me. In any case, it's ridiculous to ask me to move in with you because you think my family's in danger." She got up from her seat and stormed to the door planning to leave him there until she's sorted herself out.

When she got to the door she turned back and looked at Van. He was holding his forehead in his hands. His jaw was set, and he looked so utterly miserable. He obviously looked that way because he had failed to convince her. She wanted to turn back and put her arms around him – so gorgeous he was. He looked like he really needed her to believe him, but she couldn't make herself go that far. She hardly knew him. Yet such strange things had happened, and she found herself so unreasonably attracted to him that she couldn't make herself leave the room. She stood there clutching the metal handle to the door, looking at him. What was she going to do?

There was no one in the cafeteria. Only Van sitting at the table by himself, and her standing at the door foolishly. Van lifted his head and started cleaning up their dishes. When he saw her standing there doing nothing, his face lit up. He got up and came towards her.

She thought about turning the knob and leaving, but she couldn't make herself do that.

"It's all right that you don't believe me just yet," he said. "I thought that I had offered enough information, or that you had seen enough by now. Maybe some day you'll be able to accept it. Just don't blab what I just told you. Promise?"

"I promise." She couldn't think of a good reason to deny him this.

"I won't push you or make you do anything you don't want to. I'll help you believe in me," he said simply.

She hugged him.

He pulled back and looked at her. "Now go get your mother and take her home. Have a good sleep, and don't have nightmares. All right, love?"

"All right," she agreed.

"There's a good girl."

"Good night," she said quietly.

She walked down the hall by herself, hearing her own footfalls on the tile as the only person walking down a wide empty corridor.

8


	8. Chapter 8

****_Author's Notes: I know, there's not much left to Thursday, but I made it! Haza! Anyhoo - thanks to everyone who reviews. You make my day. Loads of Love!  
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**Chapter Eight**

Hitomi went home that night.

Millerna's parents had requested that Hitomi stay until they found out if Millerna would live or not, but Hitomi's mother had explained to them that Hitomi needed to rest and would be back in the morning to sit by Millerna.

When Hitomi got home, she went into her room and shut the door. Marlene and her father had been waiting to comfort her when she and her mother got home, but Hitomi didn't want to talk to anyone.

Now Hitomi sat in her room and stared at the walls. The way that everything was so organized in her room made her crazy. The room was as it always was; looked like it always had. Everything was where it should be. That was what made Hitomi so angry. Nothing was the way it had always been. Things were in total disarray. She herself felt like she had grown up so completely that the few things that were still a little childish in her room were completely out of place. The big grey teddy bear on her shelf still looked as cute and fluffy as ever, but it just wasn't the same. She didn't care that her father had brought it to her in the hospital when she broke her leg. That was why she had kept it out in the first place. All the rest of her play things had long ago been shut up in boxes that were now in the bottom of the storage room. What was happening to her?

On her dresser there was a snap shot of her and Millerna. Hitomi got up and picked it up. She held it in her hands. She wanted to cry, but she just couldn't. Who exactly was to blame for this? What Van said made a lot of sense, but it just seemed too outrageous. Yeah, Dilandau was a member of a criminal organization, she thought sarcastically. Well, maybe it wasn't all that outrageous . . . he was always sneaking around and behaving oddly. The police officer had asked her about the Dragon Slayers as well, so they must be considering the chance that they had something to do with the school shooting. The only person who had a reason to hurt Millerna was Dilandau and who ever was with him. That much had to be true. What Van said unfortunately made too much sense; there really wasn't a better explanation.

She lay down on her bed and tried to think. It would be so easy to believe everything Van had said, but that was probably just because he was unbelievably good looking and . . . well – hot. Gorgeous people ought not to be more convincing than ordinary people, and she couldn't let herself believe everything he said just because she was attracted to him.

She couldn't stop thinking about Van though, and it made her feel terrible. Millerna was lying in a hospital bed at this very minute on the verge of death, and Hitomi couldn't set aside her love life. She was the worst!

Suddenly she heard a loud BANG outside her room.

_What was that? _

It sounded like the front door. Hitomi jumped off her bed and onto her feet to go see what happened when a man in a black ski mask burst into her room. He was holding a gun. He was about medium height and was wearing a black leather jacket as well as black jeans. There was a lot of shouting going on out side her room, but the only person she heard was the man pointing a gun at her.

"Get your hands up," he ordered.

Slowly she put her hands apart and in the air so he could see what she was doing.

"Who are you?" she asked keeping her eyes on his.

"Shut up!" he yelled at her. "Turn around!"

She slowly turned around so that she couldn't see his face, even though she didn't want to, even though she was afraid.

He pushed her onto her bed, so she lay on her stomach. He was on top of her in an instant with his knee in the centre of her back and was kneeling on her spine with what felt like all his strength. Hitomi yelped out in pain. Then she felt the gun pressed into her temple.

"Don't make a fuckin' sound," the man whispered into her ear.

She bit her lip. She was_ really_ afraid now, and she had no idea what she could do to help herself. She dared not move. She hardly dared to breath. His knee was stabbing cruelly and she desperately wanted to cry. Van had told her that she wouldn't be safe in her apartment! but it was hard to think about what he had said.

Hitomi heard the man pull out some tape. He grasped her wrists and taped them together, pulling them so far up she was certain he was going to dislocate her shoulders. She screamed violently at the pain, even though he had told her not to make any noise. Finally, he dropped her hands. Instead he pulled her up by her hair, stretching her body at such an impossible angle, so that she couldn't move at all. He was still pulling! Then a piece of duct tape was stretched across her mouth. When he tore it from the rest of the roll, he brutally scratched her face. It stung so much that her eyes began to water. She could feel the blood inching its way down her chin. Then he backed away enough that she could stand up. He pulled her to her feet.

"Now let's move," he said with a nasty wrench of her hair. With that he muscled her towards the door.

When they reached the living room, she saw two other men dressed as the one who was yanking her hair. They held guns at her parents and her little sister. The other men turned their heads when she entered the room. Hitomi wanted to scream her head off telling them to run. She made what noises she could through her gag.

One of the men grunted at her.

The other one said with control, "Take her out to the car. We'll finish here."

As they forced her through the hallway and out to the car, Hitomi was certain someone would see them. Someone would see them in the halls of her building, or someone would see them on the streets, but it was dark now, and even though she twisted her head in all directions hoping that someone would recognize what was happening and intervene, she didn't see anyone. When they went out the front doors, she couldn't even look up to see if there was a light on in her apartment, and she also had the ever present gun shoved into her back.

And what about her family? She thought for sure that they had shot Marlene and her mother and father, just like they had shot Millerna. Why hadn't they fought them? Oh right, and she was doing an awfully good job fighting for herself, she thought bitterly.

One of the men put his hand over her head as they all piled into a black car. He pushed her to the far seat and sat down next to her. There wasn't anything she could do. None of them said anything. They seemed to know exactly what they were doing and were extremely cool about it, which worried her more than most things. How many times had they done exactly what they were doing now? The man sitting next to her, the one who had pulled her hair, picked up a black bag from behind the seats and pushed it on top of her head and over her eyes. Now she couldn't even see. Then she felt him feeling around her stomach - that made her shiver and shrink from him. She bit down hard. She had a terrifying moment where she thought that he would unbuckle her belt and undo her pants. But then he buckled her seat belt around her. She was relieved, but now she couldn't move at all. She just seemed to be getting in deeper every minute. Then she felt the engine start. With the bag over her head, she wouldn't be able to keep up with where they were going once they started driving.

Her hands were twisted in such a strange way. It was most uncomfortable position. Her arms hurt so much. It was becoming a sort of madness with her. She just thought about the pain, but she wasn't going to cry. Just as Van said, there was nothing to be gained by her falling apart. She had to get control of her emotions or she wouldn't be able recognize a chance to get away when it came. She had to be strong.

Suddenly, she noticed something, her wrists didn't hurt as much as the necklace she was wearing. It was the necklace Van had given her the night he asked her to stay away from Dilandau. It felt slightly cold some of the time, but right at this moment it was so cold it was burning her. It was against her bare skin, and felt exactly like someone was holding a slush ball in her shirt. She leaned forward in order to get some relief from the intense pain. However the man beside her thought that she was trying to wriggle lose or something he and pushed her back harshly. This action ended up forcing the bitter-cold into her skin more violently than before. Hitomi was sure that the pain was going to make her throw up. It hurt more than anything she had ever experienced before. And her breath was hot inside the black bag. In truth she could hardly breathe.

They had been driving a long time. At least it felt like a long time to Hitomi when the necklace seemed to be boring a hole into her rib cage. At last they stopped. The bag was still over her head and she had no idea where she was. The man who sat beside her unclipped her seat belt. She felt the release of the pressure on her wrists. She had hardly noticed the pain there, but now her wrists felt tight. The man yanked her out of the car by the elbow. She stood there. What was happening? What were they going to do with her now?

She promised herself that she wouldn't be afraid. They were going to hurt her. They might even kill her.

Then, she felt a gun being stabbed into her back, as she was forced into a building. One of the men pulled the black hood off of her head once they were inside. Once she could see, she looked at the men. They were no longer wearing their ski masks, but now that she saw them clearly she sort of recognized one of them. She didn't know where she had seen him. He was dressed as the other men, but older, she guessed by about ten years.

She wasn't afraid anymore. Somehow she had made herself not afraid. She turned around calmly, even though the gun was being pointed at her back. She looked at them. Then she looked around. They were standing in a wide hall way. Where on earth were they? The lights installed in the ceiling were long yellowed fluorescent light bulbs. The walls were grimy and old. Things were bad. She could tell that by the way the men stared at her. Things were very bad. How on earth was she going to get out of this?

The necklace at her throat still throbbed incessantly, and she was having a hard time thinking, but Hitomi knew for certain that she didn't want to go through the doors at the end of the hall. That was where she was being pointed to. If she didn't fight now, she probably wouldn't get another chance. She tried to make a break for the other doors.

She didn't get very far, when the men caught up to her. She got slammed to the ground on her face with two full grown men's weight on top of her. She clenched her teeth in pain. As she had skidded on the floor she hit her cheek bone and her chin. _That_ hurt! She wanted to cry out, but couldn't. Her mouth was still taped.

She got cranked up to her feet wickedly by one of the men. "Where do you think you're going, bitch?"

Of course she didn't say anything.

He pulled her close to his face, and forced to look into his eyes. They were black. Then he said harshly, "What do you think you're trying to pull?" His closed fist came ramming into her cheek, the cheek that had just been skidded on the board floor. "You think that you can get away?" He hit her again.

This time he hit her in the eye. She tried not to cry, but her eyes watered heavily. It was her body's reaction. She lay on the ground now. She couldn't move on her own now if she wanted to. She couldn't breath either. Her nose was hopelessly clogged, and she was just as afraid she was going to suffocate as anything else.

"Enough," the one who seemed in charge said. "He doesn't want her dead. Pick her up and take her inside. He has something special waiting for her."

"Get up," the man who had hit her commanded.

Hitomi couldn't get up if she wanted to; her head felt like it was going to burst.

"Get up!"

Hitomi didn't move.

He pointed the gun at her forehead and cocked the barrel. "Get up!"

She closed her eyes and didn't flicker an inch.

He kicked her in the stomach. "Get up!" he hollered.

Hitomi crumpled up in agony. She needed to cough, but couldn't. She called on the reserves of her strength and forced herself to her feet. Her stomach and face were excruciating now. The neck lace hadn't been much help either. It had been the most painful all along. She felt in a way it had prepared her for the pain that they were going to give her. For even after all that the neck lace was still more painful than being kicked in the stomach by a man wearing steel toed boots. He eye hurt a great deal as well. It would be swollen shut in a moment.

She was pushed in through the doors at the end of the hall. The ones that she had dreaded most hysterically. Inside was what looked like the inside of a stadium. It was the size of a hockey rink. There were heaps of dirt with motorcycle tracks up and down them. There was a huge, what seemed like a dart board in the middle.

Hitomi heard a roar. She looked up and saw that bleachers were set up around the track and there was a crowd of people set up to watch, but she had never heard a crowd that sounded like that before. It sounded completely animalistic, like cannibals out on the prowl.

What was she going to do? They were going to do something absolutely terrible to her here, in front of all these people, and she had no way to protect herself. The men had proved that to her quickly enough out in the hall. She wasn't going to be afraid. She was going to be strong. It seemed rather stupid to her at the time that she should be thinking that way, because her eye was closed completely.

There were two men on either side of her now; each one of them grabbed one of her elbows. They picked her up off the ground practically as they hauled her towards the huge target. Once there, one of them ripped the tape off her wrists while the other one held her. She decided they didn't want to be embarrassed by her squirming. Then she was lifted onto the platform directly onto the target. Each one held one of her wrists tight. It didn't matter how she tried to resist them; they were much stronger than she was. They tied her wrists to the corners of the target, placing her body in a huge Y shape. The rope was yellow and scratchy. The platform wasn't very far off the ground, so it wasn't hard for them to get a proper hold of the rope so that they could tie it good and tight. Then they reached down to her legs. Hitomi saw the ropes at the bottom of the target as well. They were not where her feet were, but instead apart as her wrists were. The two men had a harder time pulling her legs apart, but in the end they won out. Her pants protected her from the yellow rope this time at least.

She thought for sure they were going to leave her alone now. She looked up and saw the crowd laughing and screaming. To her surprise one of the men who had helped tie her jumped up onto the small platform. He put his arms around her and pressed her against him. She gagged and then swallowed hard.

He reached up and gripped her hair pulling her at an angle as to bring her ear to his mouth. He whispered to her, "I would love to strip you in front of all these people and show you just how good you really are. Think yourself lucky that you have been saved for someone special." He stuck his tongue in her ear and ripped the tape off of her mouth. With that tear, he leapt off of the platform into a pile of soft dirt.

She didn't notice the pain as he tore at the cut by her face again. Instead she just coughed. She gagged again, but couldn't handle how revolted she was. She threw up. She hadn't eaten that much that day and found herself dry heaving uncontrollably.

The crowd cheered louder, as if they were happy to see her terror.

Why was this happening? There was only one thing she knew for certain, and that was that this was her last night on earth.

Just then she heard a familiar voice say on the microphone, "I welcome you my children to the playground." Hitomi looked up and saw Dilandau, looking like himself, and completely comfortable. He _was_ in charge of this! He had a spot light on him and looked like the ring master at a circus. "I would like to introduce you to Hitomi Kanzaki."

When he said her name a spot light came on her as well. There she was, pinned to a dart board, her face scratched and swollen, with throw up running down her chin and chest. The crowd looked delighted to see her, like she was a fabulous model or something.

Why hadn't she listened to Van? Why hadn't she begged for his protection? What he said was all true.

Dilandau continued, "Motor cycles first. Tradition, you know children. Then, my darling Hitomi will be the concluding act." As he said that the spot light on Hitomi went out. He stood there by himself in the pool of light, looking like the very devil himself. His voice went like thunder as he said, "Let the games begin."

Just as he spoke motor cycles came out of little hatches from all around the sides of the stadium. The burr of their engines was distracting. They jumped and skidded across and down the heaps of dirt. What a game! This did seem harmless, almost like a race. Soon it was very obvious that it was no such thing. Their whole mission out there was to kill as many other racers as they could. Hitomi caught her breath and looked at the dirt in front of the platform just in time to see Dilandau approaching her.

Dilandau now stood in front of her. "Hitomi," he said quietly. His microphone was turned off, so no one could hear him but her. "None of this would have happened if you hadn't told that security guard in the hospital that Millerna saw that murder."

That was where she had seen that third man before! He was the security guard in the hospital that she had confessed to. She felt even sicker than before – if that was possible.

"I didn't know if Millerna told you anything. Would you humour me and tell me when she told you about it? Was that when you decided that you were going to stay away from me?"

"She told me two days ago, before you had her shot."

"I didn't shoot her," he said innocently.

"Whatever."

"So, why did you tell me that you would call the police on me if I didn't leave your apartment A.S.A.P.?"

Hitomi looked at him in her broken state. She couldn't tell him that Van told her to stay away from him. She frowned, wondering what she could tell him. Well, she always had the excuse that all women have as a backup. "Call it P.M.S.," she said roughly, and spat the remains of her vomit off the edge of the platform.

He touched her scrapped cheek gently, "They hurt you. I didn't want them to hurt you." He took out a cloth and wiped off her face.

Just as he touched her face with the cloth, a motor bike came clattering down behind him. Dilandau didn't turn, or even look startled. The rider on it looked extremely hurt, sprawled out on the mud.

Hitomi gasped, "Dilandau, aren't you going to help him?"

Dilandau turned his head and saw the biker. "Oh, no. He chose to compete. It's his fault. I don't have anything to do with his choice."

Hitomi had to try to get out of this, maybe Dilandau wouldn't help the biker, but he might help her. "Dilandau," she said softly. She didn't bother trying to seem desirable or flirtatious, she couldn't when she was beat up like that anyway, with throw-up dribbling down her chin. She had to believe what Van had told her - that Dilandau was in love with her – and take her chances. She looked into his scarlet eyes and asked earnestly, "Is there any way that you would help me out of this?"

"Maybe," he said looking at the floor.

"That man over there threatened to do something awful to me, Dilandau," she said – not able to use more descriptive language.

Dilandau laughed, "Of course he did."

"Don't laugh. I'm really scared."

"No, you're not. You're not crying," he pointed out.

"I have cried too much today," she said bitterly.

"Not since you have been with my boys. They told me all the things that happened, you didn't cry once," he snarled.

"Will you help me?"

"I could help you. Eat or be eaten is the motto of the jungle. It's not much different here Hitomi. I'm still not exactly pleased with how you treated me on the bus."

"I had just talked to Millerna. How would you feel?"

He paused, looking thoughtful. "I could help you, but I would need something in return."

"What?" Hitomi demanded.

"For starters you would have to join us – the Dragon Slayers."

Hitomi shook her head, "You mean you want to turn me into one of them?" She pointed to the audience with her chin. "You want me to be an animal, just like them? You want me to be excited by blood shed? Do you realize what you're asking me to do?"

"I thought you might consider it a reasonable offer, if you knew what they're going to do to you," he said darkly.

"You mean what you're going to do to me Dilandau. You are the only one with any power here, aren't you?"

"Hitomi, you are not usually a very perceptive girl, and I never want it said that I didn't love that about you. Are you turning me down?"

"Yes, but I think I was being very stupid, not to notice what you really are."

He began to walk away from her. "I'll renew my offer," he threw to her over his shoulder.

When she lifted her head and saw what was going on with the motor cycles, she was horrified. There was hardly anybody left. Most of the bikes lay amputated from their riders. She looked down at the man in front of her. His helmet was practically cracked in two. She watched as he pulled it off with some effort. When it was off, he looked up at Hitomi.

"You have no idea what they're going to do to you, do you?" he shouted to her over the noise.

"You have no idea what they _did_ do to you, do you?" she yelled back.

He smiled. "No. I know. But I'm done, you're just starting."

"Do you feel sorry for me?"

"Yes." His eyes had all sorts of laughter in them. "This was my way out of the club. As a matter of fact, it's the only way out."

"How will it end for me?"

"You'll either die in a lot of pain today, or in a lot of pain later. You pick."

"Will you tell me what they're going to do?" she begged.

He choked up some blood. "I don't know. They never do the same thing twice." It was getting difficult for Hitomi to understand what he was saying. He'd be dead in a minute.

"Is Dilandau the leader here?"

The man tried to tell her something but then he laid his head on the dirt.

She had never actually seen a person die, and she couldn't force herself to watch now. Instead, she threw her head back and looked at the rafters. She was going to die in the next hour or so. Her only hope, and it was little, was that the pain in the neck lace would kill her. She thought it very likely. It hurt so much.

She saw at the other end of the stadium there were things being set up. There were quivers and arrows. Oh dear, were they going to shoot at her? A line of card tables were also being set out. Knives were being set out as well; some were being sharpened.

Dilandau was now standing in the spot light again. He was holding a biker's hand up in the air. "We would like to congratulate Guimel for winning the play ground. It was a good win because; he only joined us last week." He shook Guimel's hand. "Very good - you didn't die."

Guimel leaned over and took off his helmet. He had blonde hair. He smiled at the crowd and the crowd in return went absolutely wild for him. He had a cut on his lip as well, and had blood spilling over his chin. He had a wild look in his eyes. It was the wild look of a killer. He waved his helmet in the air, and danced a little bit for the crowd. They screamed for him and he seemed to lose his mind as he jumped around for them.

Dilandau didn't stop him. He let him perform until the crowd got bored with him, and then told Guimel to chill and exit at that door. The crowd howled for him once more before he left the stadium.

Hitomi began to feel more miserable. She was going to die in the next thirty seconds maybe. If they were going to shoot arrows, and knives at her then probably in the next twenty.

Suddenly there was a ear-spitting CRACK as the huge doors to the stadium behind the tables were blown off. Van was standing behind the blast. He walked in calmly and full of determination. Hitomi's first thought was that he was a member of the Dragon Slayers as well. When she saw the look on Dilandau's face she knew that just wasn't so.

"VAN!" Hitomi cried.

Van began to run towards the men with the knives and arrows. He jumped in the air as he reached them putting forth his hands to stop them, and Hitomi watched as they were blown to either side. Their knives and arrows falling in disarray everywhere. What happened? He didn't even touch them!

Her head jerked up as she saw him running towards her platform.

When he saw her up close, his eyes went wide. "Hitomi," he hollered as he leapt onto the platform. He took a knife from his pocket and had her wrists undone in a split second. Then he turned back towards Dilandau and the others. "Hitomi, cut the knots at your ankles," he instructed handing her the knife and jumping in front of Dilandau.

"Vince, my ass!" Dilandau barked as he drew his eye brows into a tight line. "And to think I thought you were so pure that you wouldn't even lie about your name."

"It's the Dragon!" someone else yelled.

"Lovely setup you've got here," Van said in a controlled voice.

Hitomi was struggling with the knots as they weren't as easy to cut. Van had made it look so easy. She tore at the rope with all her might. It was hard, but she kept at it. But, she wanted to hear what they were saying . . . Van was 'The Dragon'? What did it all mean?

"So, you came to get _her_ out of this. You know we'll rip you apart, don't you _Van_?" Dilandau sounded nastier then Hitomi had ever heard him sound in all the time that she had known him.

The crowd was screaming in a way that frightened Hitomi more than anything they had done yet. She looked up and saw Van didn't look afraid at all. He had even told her that if they ever got a hold of him, they would do horrible things to him. The people in the stands were starting to get impatient and they began to climb over the edges of the stadium. She made one last desperate rip at the rope on her right ankle. It gave way. Now that one was free. She set quickly on the other ankle.

"No you won't," Van said extending his arms in front of him.

A dull glow appeared in the air in between Van's outstretched hands. The people in the stadium stopped moving and watched him - amazed. The burning light grew and grew. Hitomi was paralysed where she sat cranking at the rope. He seemed to be drawing energy out of everything around him. As the ball got larger and brighter, it raised higher above his head, until it shone like fire. Then he shot it at the corner of the stadium, setting fire to the whole building.

Hitomi was breathless. What had he just done? It was IMPOSSIBLE? People couldn't call fire out of thin air.

Dilandau was furiously shrieking instructions to the people who had been in the stands for their escape from a fire that they couldn't possibly put out.

Once Dilandau was distracted, Van turned back to Hitomi. He took the knife away from her, and cut the rope instantly. He grabbed her hand. He pulled her past the target towards the back doors. She had to keep up with him, and so she ran harder than she had ever run in her life. He stretched his hand out in front of them, and the doors blew off.

But this time he had definitely come for her, and she held on tightly to his fingers – happy to be with him.

"I don't know how to get out of here. I guess we'll just go straight," he said.

She ran and ran beside him. She didn't even know that she could run that fast. Of course with him pulling and pushing her on, it became a lot easier to see that she had never really pushed herself. She was pushing herself now, and she sure felt it. Her legs and chest burned.

It was then that she noticed that the pendant around her neck didn't hurt any longer. How was that?

The hallway seemed to go on and on. They didn't see anybody. They hadn't listened to the instructions Dilandau had hollered. Now Hitomi was thinking that they maybe should have paid more attention, because they didn't seem to be getting anywhere.

Suddenly Van yelled to her, "I've got it." He turned right at the first door they saw and they found themselves out in the open night air. "Let's go."

He made her run for blocks before he let her have a break. She was sweating all over now. As he let go of her she put her hands on her knees and panted. She looked up at Van. He didn't look ruffled by the situation at all. He was breathing a heavily, but he was not as broken up as Hitomi, but he hadn't been beaten to a bloody pulp that night.

He looked at her, "I'm sorry Hitomi. You look like you had a rough time of it. We have to get out of here. Can you keep going?"

"I think so," she said, still huffing.

"My car is over there," he said pointing to a parking lot at the end of the block. He went over and unlocked the passenger door for her. He rushed over to the other side. He put the key in the ignition. "Put on you seat belt. I'm going to take you to my place. I don't know what your mother would say if I took you home like that."

"She probably wouldn't say anything."

"Really?"

"She's probably dead, Van," Hitomi tried to say with as little emotion as possible.

"I don't know exactly what happened to your family, but I'll find out, and I'll protect you," he whispered.

He backed out of the parking space, and turned onto the road. Hitomi hadn't felt that safe since she had been with him in the cafeteria in the hospital. He made things safe. Not only did he do that, but she knew now that he had told her the truth about Dilandau . . . but that still didn't explain the fire ball.

9


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's Notes: Thanks to everyone who reviews and everyone who reads. Merry Christmas! But this won't be my real Christmas present to you. It'll be next week when I update a chapter on the Thursday between Christmas and New Years! Happy Holidays!  
_

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

Hitomi fell asleep in the car before Van had actually gotten her anywhere. The passenger side window was open and the wind on her face was extremely cooling. She was just dead weight and before she knew it she had fallen asleep.

She woke up on a couch. It was daytime. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, noticed she was in a living room, and that . . . she was wearing a _different_ shirt! Eeep!

A teenaged girl was looking at her. She was sitting in a chair close to Hitomi. She had dark eyes, and short ruddy-red hair. "So," she said with one eye brow raised. "You're awake." She was wearing a black tank top, and long khaki cargo pants. Hitomi also noticed that she had a tattoo on her upper arm. It was a dragon, just like the dragon that man Gaddes had on the back of his neck. "You've been asleep a really long time."

Hitomi sat up. "What time is it?"

The girl looked at her watch, "Eight thirty."

"What day is it?"

"Tuesday."

So, it was only the day after everything had happened. Suddenly, she remembered an essay she was supposed to turn in for English class . . . she'd missed class! "Shouldn't I have gone to school today?" Hitomi blurted, thinking about her paper.

"Van asked me to tell you a few things. Obviously, you won't be going to school anymore. Not any school. You won't be safe there. Once the Dragon Slayers know that you're a threat, they'll want you dead."

"They already want me dead?" Hitomi mumbled. So much had happened; she was having a hard time making sense of it all.

"So, Van noticed." The girl regarded the floor with a sickened expression on her face. "My name is Merle."

Hitomi nodded, and was about to ask her about her parents and sister when Merle continued.

"You'll be on the most recent edition the Missing Children ad. Since you're still seventeen, you'll be on the list. It's a pity you couldn't have joined us before you became famous. You could have been helpful _then_," Merle said bitterly.

Hitomi put a hand to her face, she still couldn't see well out of her eye because of the swelling. "Is there some ice or something that I could put on my eye?"

"Oh yeah. I just didn't want to put an ice pack on it while you were still out of it. I'm not the best doctor and I didn't want it to leak and spill cold water into your hair while I was out of the apartment." The girl jumped up and went into the other room. She was back in a moment with an ice tray and a white dish towel. She sat down on the floor next to Hitomi, and began to crack the ice.

"Do you know what happened to my mom and dad and sister?" Hitomi asked as soon as she saw a break in the girl's conversation.

"Sorry," she said shaking her head.

"What about my friend Millerna? Do you know what happened to Millerna? Did she live after all?"

"I haven't been told," she confessed.

Hitomi put her head back on the pillows set up for her and thought about the next most important thing – Van. "Where's Van?"

"He'll be around," Merle said nonchalantly.

"He's in trouble, isn't he?" Hitomi asked.

Merle smiled. "Van was practically born in trouble."

"No, but he's in more trouble because the Dragon Slayers didn't know who he was before last night. Now that they know who he is, do you think that he is in danger?"

"I doubt it. Van is the Dragon. Dilandau would have seen his face eventually, and Van has always been prepared for that. He simply wanted to hold off on the inevitable for as long as possible. That's all."

"So, you don't think that he's mad at me for what happened?"

Merle pulled the cloth up around the ice cubes. "Van is not the one who lost yesterday. You are. Don't think you're licked though." She handed Hitomi the make shift ice pack.

Hitomi put it up to her eye. "Will I get to see him?"

"I don't know where he is. He said he'd come to see you tonight though, so he'll be here. So, stop bugging me," Merle said, getting up to leave.

"Merle, how did you get involved in this? Van told me that people get in this because the Dragon Slayers did something horrible to them."

"That's why, but I'd actually rather not talk about it," Merle said looking out the window. "I'll leave you alone for awhile. You look like you're going to pass out."

"I just might."

She turned herself onto her side as Merle left the room. Her head pounded. What she wanted right at that moment were some pretty good drugs, and a cold drink, but she didn't dare ask Merle for either. The girl did not look happy to be nursing her.

Her mind went straight to Van once given a little encouragement. She closed her eyes and pictured him forming that ball of fire above his arms. How had he done that?

There was definitely one other thing she didn't understand and she wanted to ask Van. Why had the gem stone hurt like that? She would have asked Merle, but she was afraid that Merle wouldn't know the answer. Besides she didn't know that Merle was someone she could trust. She seemed to have a lot of pent up hostility towards her, and Hitomi didn't understand why.

Her head was fuzzy and she was drifting off to sleep again.

Van woke her up. The twilight was still hanging in the air outside, so it wasn't quite night yet. She must have slept an hour or two at least.

He patted her head with a new ice pack.

Hitomi moaned a little bit at the feeling in her head, and saw that she had knocked the ice pack Merle made for her onto the floor in her sleep.

"Good after-morning," he said pleasantly, looking into her eyes.

Hitomi couldn't help but think that he was incredibly good looking, but she pushed the thought away, thinking she was out of her mind.

"Thank-you," she said.

He smiled, "For what, silly girl?"

"You saved me last night."

"My pleasure. I thoroughly enjoyed it."

"Did you really?" she exclaimed

"I don't have an excuse to bust into one of their hide-outs very often . . . and torch the building. Actually, I've never done it before. Merle told me that she talked to you, and you seemed kind of out of it. Are you in a lot of pain?"

"Yes."

"Still? I thought it might be better by now. You've slept all day. Why didn't Merle give you anything? Anyway, I think I have some pain killers. I get pretty bad head aches, and I have stuff for that, but I think they might be a little powerful for you."

"It'll be okay," she reassured him.

"I'll be right back then." He went through the doorway that seemed to lead to the kitchen and then around the corner. He was back in a moment, and he brought a glass of water with him. Sitting on the floor next to her, he handed her the water. "Take this." He put the pill in her palm.

She drank a little bit of the water and put the pill in her mouth. It tasted terrible, so she did her best to swallow it at once. Then she drank a little more water.

"Which one of your injuries hurts the most?" he asked her. "Those monsters banged you up pretty bad."

"I have a head ache, and this cut doesn't feel that great." She pointed to the cut by her lip. "Do you think I'll have a scar? I don't want to scar."

"I don't know, but maybe you'll have a little one. They scraped your cheek pretty badly too, but it might be all right if you just give it some time to heal."

She put her hand over her stomach, "I don't feel too good. I think I might throw up."

Van got up and went back into the kitchen. He returned shortly with an ice cream pail, and put it in her lap.

"Thanks," she took it from him and held it close to her.

"Hitomi, there isn't any use pretending that you are well enough to do anything, but lie in bed for awhile yet, so I think that we need to decide where we're going to put you while you're recovering." He regarded her with weary eyes. "I took you to my place to begin with, but Merle didn't think that was very 'appropriate' and insisted I bring you here, so this isn't my apartment. There's also the problem that Merle can't afford to keep you here on a permanent basis. She and her room mate are really important to our every day operations, and they both have day jobs. Since, you can't take care of yourself for the time being, and they are too busy, there aren't very many options," he said presenting the alternatives. "Either you can go live with my aunt in the country until you're better, or you can come with me back to my place."

"Didn't Merle say that was 'inappropriate'?"

"It is . . . especially since I don't live alone. But I don't want to leave you with just any of our members while you recover. I only trust myself or my aunt to take proper care of you. Besides, it wouldn't be as inappropriate as you'd think. It's not like you'd be sleeping in my bed. You'd have your own room for privacy. The only thing is . . . is that in order for you to make your decision you have to know what the choices really mean. If you come to live at my place then you have to join our resistance group. It wouldn't be safe for you to know all about us and not be part of our team. So, if you go to my aunt's, that's your way out of all this mess. You won't have to deal with me, or my problems, and any of the crap that's gone on. I really want to give you the choice. It's just that sometimes things go wrong, like what happened with Gaddes when they burned down that building downtown. If you're not willing to accept a little danger than I would seriously suggest that you go live with my aunt until you're better. The choice is really up to you."

"How long do I have to make up my mind?" she asked, tugging her blanket closer around her and thinking that her head hurt far too much for her to make this decision.

"These girls can't keep you here after tomorrow. We have to move you, so you'll have to make up your mind before 7:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. That's when Merle leaves for work. She says I have to pick you up before she locks the apartment."

"Van this really isn't fair. I. . ."she couldn't think. "I don't know anything about your resistance group. I think I could make a better decision if you would tell me more."

"I'm sorry Hitomi. I don't dare tell you more until you're one of us."

"Well, what exactly would happen if I went to your aunt's?"

"That's simple. I'd drive you out there tomorrow. She has a spare room you can sleep in, until you're better. Of course, I'd call you from the city and let you know what I'd found out about your family and Millerna. Then depending on what happened to your parents, you'd make a decision about where you wanted to go from there, but I'd strongly recommend that you simply never come back to this city. Dilandau will stay here because I'm here, and it's his goal to eliminate me, and I think he likes you so well that there's a chance he could convince the rest of the Dragon Slayers to forget all about you." Hitomi could tell that he was trying very hard to sound impartial during this speech and for the most part, he seemed to succeed, but she got the impression that he really wanted her to stay and what he suggested would separate them forever.

"So, I'd never see you again?" she asked.

"Yeah . . . that's what would happen," he paused, searching her eyes. "On the other hand there is one thing I can promise, if you joined our resistance, that is. You would never kill anyone."

Hitomi saw that this last declaration meant a great deal to him, but there was still one more thing she wanted to ask him before she even considered throwing caution to the wind. "Does that also mean that you won't explain the fireball to me, unless I join?"

He nodded. "That's what that means," he said slowly. "So, what do you think?"

Her head hurt so much. What was she going to do? But as she looked at Van, she thought his eyes looked really honest and a little sorrowful. It was what those creatures had done to Millerna, possibly to her parents and sister. No, she couldn't walk out on this. It was far too personal. She didn't care if she would be in danger. Then she said it. "I . . . I think that Dilandau and his little blood hounds desperately need to have their asses kicked."

His eyes popped open, "Is that an answer?"

She decided that she didn't want to think about it anymore. Van was the only person in the whole world who could help her now. He was her only friend. He had been the one to come for her last night, and if she could help him with whatever cause he had going she would be glad to. Not to mention the fact that Dilandau was the one who had harmed every last person she cared about. Maybe she could help him get his own back. Her head hurt, but she tried to uncloud her judgement as she considered the possibilities. She could do the most damage if she stayed with Van, and yes, she wanted revenge.

"Yes."

He smiled. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

She placed the ice pack on her face again. "Van, is this normal?" she indicated her swollen face. "Do most people go around with this kind of handy work on their face? I don't. Things need to change."

He had the hugest grin on his face. "You silly girl. I am so sorry that those guys did this to you. Don't worry. It will get better sooner than you think," he said, his mood seeming to brighten. "Want to hear how the news crews explained the fire I set last night?"

"Of course."

"That whole building burned down. The fire engines got there only a little bit before we got out of there. It was kept out of the papers more than I'd like, but I did get a laugh out of how they explained it."

"How did they explain it?"

"They said that one of the motor bikes crashed."

"But that's ridiculous; you set fire to the ceiling."

He smiled again, "That's only what they're saying. The fire chief said that they had to take their word for it because there was no reasonable answer, but that titbit of information wasn't in the papers." He raised his eye brows. "All the same, I was incredibly satisfied to read that article."

"But Van, what did they say to explain the dead bodies lying around the dirt heaps? They obviously found them when they went to investigate after the fire was put out."

"No, there wasn't a word about those dead riders. They found the motor cycles, but they didn't find any dead bodies. My only guess was that Dilandau had some members of his club pick up the bodies and take them out with them. Dilandau must have something he does with dead bodies if he's managed to stay out of trouble thus far. A lot of people go unaccounted for in our society."

"Van, how did you do it?" Hitomi asked suddenly.

"How did I do what?"

"You set fire to the stadium. How did you do it?"

"There's a good reason for it, even though it doesn't make a whole lot of sense," he said, mildly touching the wisps of hair around her ear. "There's magic. You saw it, and I know you have felt it." He fingered the necklace around her throat.

Her eyes widened. "Yes, why did it hurt like that?"

"How bad was it?"

"It was more painful at the time, weighed against everything else that happened to me. I would have taken it off, but I never got the opportunity. My hands were always tied, and then after you broke me out, I forgot about it completely."

"Really?" He frowned. "I didn't think it would hurt that much, but I haven't had anyone wear it since I made it. No one qualified, until I first saw you."

"On the bus," Hitomi smiled at him.

Van studied her carefully. "That wasn't the first time I saw you."

"When did you first see me?" she questioned, really curious.

"Do you really want to hear about that?"

"Yes, I do."

"This is a really long story and you're going to think I'm a psychopath," he sighed, with this attitude like it couldn't be helped and he'd have to tell her. "That girl who Millerna saw murdered. Her name was Kristy. She's one of Allen's. We sent her on a quick little mission to break the lock on that building. The idea was that we wanted to go check on it the next day; to see if someone would have replaced the lock already. You see, that would be a good indication as to how important the building was to the Dragon Slayers. No one thought that Dilandau and a couple of his thugs would be there in those two minutes that Kristy was there. We went to go check up on her, when she didn't come back on time. They had left her for dead. She was hurt really badly when we found her. She told us that some girl walked in on them while they were beating the trash out of her. She said that Dilandau hadn't expected that. She also told us how he reacted. She couldn't say much else before she . . . passed away. We don't dispose of dead bodies, so we had to leave her where we found her. After that we had to start following Dilandau around, all the time actually. I saw you with him first." He paused and looked at her. "I suppose you want me to tell when that was."

"Of course," she said, her heart was beating wildly. Any confession she heard from him was a great one.

"At the club. You were flirting with him, and he just sort of looked through you. You got annoyed with him and walked out of the club in a huff. This was almost a year ago. I had Gaddes watch Dilandau, and I left and followed you. I didn't do a very good job. I trailed so close I thought for sure you would have seen me. I remember you walked so slowly, and when I saw your head turn in the street light, I saw a tear streak down your pale skin. I had never seen anything like that before. People around here have good reason to cry when they do, but it is much more like howling to the moon. You didn't make a sound - fascinating. Anyway, the next time I saw Dilandau, you were with him again and looked just as cheerful as ever, so I figured he'd made up with you. When we saw the dynamic of your relationship, we were sure that it was you that saw the murder. You weren't a Dragon Slayer and we didn't even think that it might be Millerna. As a matter of fact we didn't even see her with Dilandau until months after the murder."

"Why didn't you come and talk to me about it?" Hitomi wondered aloud.

"We had more pressing matters around here just then."

"Like what? Things could have been cleared up a lot quicker maybe if you had talked to me back then."

"Perhaps, but what was going on here was extremely serious," he said.

"I don't like interrupting you Van, but what is the name of your resistance group?"

"The Abaharaki. But like I was about to tell you, we were sort of going through a little bit of a power struggle. Allen is the leader, but there are quite a few people who feel really strongly that it should be me."

"I don't understand. Why would they want you instead of him?"

"I keep on saying that I don't want to be the leader, and I'll happily leave it to Allen, but some people think that I'm more qualified."

"Why?"

"Like I said," he whispered into her ear. "It's magic."

She looked into his eyes and anticipated the next moment and when nothing happened, she whispered back, "What kind of magic?"

"Elemental magic," he said seriously.

"Elemental magic," she said back to him in a flat voice.

"You sound _so_ excited. You saw what it can do, and that's not the half of it."

"I'm sorry. I just thought that you were going to say something else."

"And just what exactly did you think I was going to say?"

"Nothing," she said, blushing hotly. He had been so suggestive; she thought he was going to kiss her for certain – banged up face and all.

"I wish you were feeling better. Then we could get to work at once," he said, and for a moment it didn't even occur to her that he was still talking about the resistance group. But when she looked up into his eyes, it was clear that he was not deliberately teasing her with the remark, but speaking sincerely and not even realizing there was a possible double meaning.

"I am never going to feel better," she said picking up on his tone of conversation. "I have lost a lot Van and I'm so worried about my family and Millerna that I could scream. You know when I was at school I used to hear girls whine about some distant cousin who died recently. They would do their best to sponge as much attention as they could off the tragedy, and I vowed that I wouldn't be that way. I don't want to be that way. But, I'm still hurt Van, so very hurt by everything that's happened. It's easier to keep myself together, when you're here though. It's a lot easier."

"I'm glad." His face suddenly became very serious. "I wasn't going to tell you this until I dropped you off at my aunt's . . . if that was your choice, but since you've decided to stay on with us, I think I should tell you now."

"What is it?"

"There's a reason I couldn't trust you with anyone other than myself or my aunt, but I didn't want to say what that was." He took her hand in his and seemed to brace himself for what he was about to say. "You see . . . Millerna passed away at about 5:00 a.m. this morning."

Hitomi heard a clock tick in the hallway. She noticed the crimson flecks in Van's eyes. She felt the plastic of the empty ice cream bucket on her lap, and couldn't think about what had happened at all. She couldn't even speak.

"I'll take care of you, Hitomi," he said.

"I won't forget," she said stiffly. "You have helped me so much. You saved me," she said, finding it impossible to think about Millerna. "I don't know what Dilandau was going to do to me back there, but I feel so rotted out inside whenever I close my eyes. The rest of the time I think about you."

"What's to think about when it comes to me?"

"I don't know," she paused. "It's magic."

"I'll go to sleep on the other couch, so if you need anything in the night, you can just crawl over and tug on my sleeve. Okay?"

She nodded.

"Good night then," he said quietly.

7


	10. Chapter 10

_Author's Notes: Here's me keeping my promise and uploading a chapter between Christmas and New Years. Thanks to all those who read and review. It's been jolly fun to write for you._**  
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**Chapter Ten**

It was early in the morning when Hitomi woke up. She looked over at Van straight away. He was awake and talking to Merle in the kitchen.

Van was saying, "Just give her a few more minutes. You don't have to be out the door this second."

When Hitomi saw Merle she was amazed. Merle had seemed to be a little bit of a skater chick before, but now she was cleaned up and wearing a light grey office suit. She looked neat and proper.

Merle looked down at Hitomi, "Look, she's awake. Could we get a flaming move on already? I don't want to be late." With that Merle disappeared into one of the bedrooms.

"Where's she going again?"

"To her job," Van sleepily.

"What kind of a job? I thought that you guys just liked to burn things," she giggled.

He smiled and closed his eyes. "She works at the police department. Not a very prestigious job with a lot of access, but we've got to start somewhere. She's been trying to find out how much the cops have been ignoring."

Hitomi untangled herself and got up off the couch. She stood in front of Van, giving him what she hoped was a flirty look, and then began to walk past him deeper into the apartment. She had found the bathroom the night before and desperately needed it again.

He reached after her. "Where are you going?"

"I thought that I'd take a shower. I feel just gross, and so I thought I could have one quickly before we left."

He took hold of her upper arm and said, "You're not going anywhere . . . unless it's with me. Merle already bawled me out, saying we've got to get out of here, so we might as well go now. But first, how are you feeling? Do you feel okay this morning?"

"I guess I feel better, but my head still hurts."

"Do you want more drugs?"

"No. I want to see how I'll do without them for a while."

"Well, let's get out of here then. Do you need a drink or anything before we go?"

"A drink? I'm really gross! I need a shower! But if there isn't time for that, then we might as well get going," she said, putting a hand to her eye, and wondering if she looked any better this morning than she had the night before.

He picked up the blankets on the couch and began to fold them. "I guess we can just leave then." He laid the folded blanket on the couch, and started to head towards the door. "Merle, we're leaving now! Have a good day at work!"

Merle came around the corner and blew him a kiss. "Later Van," she said, sighing and leaning against the door frame. "Thanks for last night."

_Last night? What?_

Van turned and gave Merle a dirty look. "Let's go Hitomi," he said briefly.

Hitomi quickly thanked the girl for taking care of her and obediently followed him out.

They walked together to the end of the hall and entered the stairwell. The building seemed to be very tall, because there was always another flight of stairs going down. "Van," she whined. "Doesn't this place have an elevator?"

"Yeah, it does, but we never use it."

"Why not?" she asked, huffing indignantly.

"The elevator would take us through the lobby. We don't want to go through there. It's okay for Merle. Everyone knows she lives here. But I don't want the doorman seeing you banged up the way you are. Which reminds me; I had a bad time of it getting you in here. Merle had to meet me at the parking lot doors with keys. Then, I had to park at the end of the parking lot because Merle only has one parking spot, and she and Eries (that's her roommate) have a car. After all that I had to carry you from the far end of the parking lot and then up seven flights of stairs, all to avoid the doorman. Crazy eh?"

She turned and looked at him with reddened cheeks. "I'm sorry. You couldn't have woken me up?"

"I tried." He smiled at her. "You were out for the count."

"I'm really sorry Van. But why is it so important that we avoid the doorman?"

"Do you know what I've noticed? People don't remember other people they just see for a moment very well. If there is something really defining about a person then they will be remembered. Like Gaddes with his tattoo. You remembered him. If I carried you into Merle's apartment building on my back with your banged up face, saying you had gotten drunk wouldn't have been enough to avoid suspicion. Did you recognize Merle when you saw her?"

"No."

"Well, she sat in front of you on the bus that time I escorted you to the club."

"Really?"

"Really. However, I've noticed that guys will remember really cute girls no matter what we do to make them look plain. You look totally beat up. But, even so, anyone who saw you would remember you, and even worse they would remember me as well. I haven't kept track of what's been on the news the last few days. The police could be running a search for you and playing blurbs on T.V. asking people in the city to look for you. Besides, don't lose faith, we're almost to the parking lot."

"What time is it anyway?"

"About seven. We should only be out in the open for a few seconds – hardly dangerous."

She smiled at him, "You've got your convertible? Won't everyone on the road see me then?"

"Point taken. Actually, I put the top up, so you can lie down in the back if you want to."

"Would it be better that way?"

"Possibly," he said as he opened the door at the bottom of the stairs for her.

The stairs led to an in-door parking lot. There were still a lot of cars there. Hitomi supposed that most people hadn't gone to work yet. She noticed Van had quickened his pace. She felt as if he were practically marching her, but she didn't say anything. Her limbs still ached, especially her arms and shoulders. That monster had yanked them totally out of shape when he taped her wrists.

Soon, they were at the car. Van took her over to his side. He pushed the seat back, so she could get into the back. She slid in as soon as his arm was out of her way. Then he got into the driver's seat.

"Do I really have to lie down?" she asked a little timidly.

"Not if you don't want to. I was mainly thinking about your comfort when I suggested you sit in the back."

She didn't lie down. She looked out the window and concentrated on the things they passed. If those men who kidnapped her drove anything like Van, she didn't know why they bothered blindfolding her. She couldn't have kept track of where they were going anyway. It wasn't long before she knew she wouldn't be able to find her way back to Merle's apartment if she wanted to. Parts of the city looked unfamiliar, maybe she didn't know this city as well as she thought she did.

She noticed that he wasn't playing any music. When he took her to the restaurant, there was loud music booming. Now there was nothing. She saw his CD case on the floor, so she picked it up and unzipped it. To her surprise, none of the CDs were bought in a store. They were burnt. They had numbers on them, but they didn't give Hitomi any idea what could be on them. She pulled one of the CDs.

She took off her seat belt and leaned forward. "Van, what's on this CD?"

He took it from her and looked at it. "It's just music."

"Obviously. What kind of music?"

"I thought you had a head ache."

"I _do_ have a head ache."

"I'm not going to play anything in that CD case then. Most of it is techno, or at the very least, has a good beat, and I don't want your head to hurt more, so none of that. Besides we're almost there. Just sit tight."

Hitomi sat back down and put her seat belt back on. She put her fingers to her temples. She did have a terrible head ache. At least he was right. Why on earth would she want to hear dance music when she felt like this?

Just then, the car slowed down. Van pulled into a U shaped driveway in front of a white house with blue trimming. There was a balcony on the second floor that also acted as the roof for the porch below, but it looked very ordinary. This was the place he was taking her? She was expecting something more . . . hardcore. This looked like her grandmother's house.

Van opened his door and got out. Then he helped Hitomi out of the back seat. "This is my place."

"And you have roommates?" she asked.

He nodded, "Yeah. There are a few guys who stay here too. Most of our other members are installed in apartments. Come on inside and you can meet everybody." He led her up the stairs to the front porch.

Inside was a living room. It didn't look to Hitomi like anyone had actually been in that room in a long time. There was a thin coat of dust on the end tables by the chesterfield. She took off her shoes in the entry way and made her way into the kitchen. No woman lived in this house. It was obvious. The kitchen was a total mess. There were pizza boxes in the sink, and cereal spilled on the floor.

She turned and looked at Van. "Please tell me that you didn't bring me here so that I could clean the kitchen."

"I haven't been here for a few days," he said, looking genuinely ashamed. "No one actually cleans up the kitchen. We don't really have any dishes and we get take-out all the time."

"Who pays for you guys to get take-out?"

"I didn't say it was nice take out. Some of it is actually pretty gross," he continued, shrugging his shoulders. "But none of us know how to cook, and no one really wants to clean up. Actually, these guys haven't had a whole lot of rest lately. Things are usually better than this," he said still seeming to find an excuse that she would buy.

"Why have you been so busy?" she asked, trying not to think about the messy kitchen.

"The Dragon Slayers have been working hard lately. It's been difficult to keep on top of them. That school shooting was only two days ago," he said, tactfully not mentioning Millerna. "The boys are working their butts off trying to find information about that. Then they're also looking for information about your parents."

"And my little sister." Hitomi put her hands to her face, feeling wretched and glad that the Abaharaki were working so hard for her.

"I'm sorry I don't know much about what happened, but we can go ask them right now. Maybe they've been able to uncover something," he said, putting his hand on her shoulder, and moving to hold her close.

"Do you think that they're still alive?"

"I think that there is a very good chance of it actually, but I don't want to get your hopes up. I'll introduce you to the boys and we can find out what they've learned. Come on." He led Hitomi down the hallway and opened a door that lead into the basement.

At the bottom of the stairs there was a large room. It looked like a huge sort of office. There were computer monitors giving off a cool blue glow. A few guys were busy at different computer stations. There was the man who had the dragon tattoo, Gaddes, standing in the doorway drinking a coke, and reading some printed sheets.

Van entered noisily, "Hey guys." Then he hauled Hitomi in front of the only person she did recognize. "Hitomi, this is Gaddes."

She shook his hand, "I remember you."

Gaddes smiled. He had friendly eyes.

"I remember you sat in front of me on the bus that one day, and I saw you on the news. I like your tattoo," she complimented him.

He scratched the scruff on his face. "Really? I like it too, even though I've gotten some attitude from some people around here." He inclined his head towards Van and went on, "He thinks that it's way too visible."

"Not this again," Van said, sounding exasperated. "It's your own choice, but I still think it puts all of us at risk for you to be so conspicuous. If Hitomi saw you and remembered you then someone else is bound to. And now that you've been in the public eye so much, don't you think it's about time we took the laser to it? You could get the dragon put on your back or somewhere else, and you wouldn't have me complaining to you anymore."

"I will consider the problem," Gaddes said lazily, and took another drink of his coke.

"Oh, and this is Miguel, and Chid." Van pulled Hitomi forward, "Boys this is Hitomi. You be nice to her."

They swivelled on their chairs and shook hands with her politely.

"She looks like she needs it," Miguel observed. "Do you need an ice pack?"

She touched her eye gingerly, now suddenly self conscious. "No. I don't think so," Her stomach shouted and caught her attention. If she needed anything, it was definitely food. "But thanks," she said.

When she shook hands with Chid she thought he looked really young – a few years younger than her. He didn't look old enough to be involved in this, but apparently he was. The other man, Miguel, was actually quite attractive, and Hitomi liked his face. But Hitomi didn't think much about him_ then _– she was really hungry. But her parents and sister came first.

"Have you been able to find out anything about my family?" she asked Miguel and Chid.

"Hold please," Chid said, asking her to wait, and taking his headset off. "I have some good news for you. It seems that your parents and sister weren't killed."

"Really?" she cried, jumping up from her place at the table and throwing her arms around Van's neck, possibly because he was standing so close to her. _ Thank goodness! Thank goodness!_ "Where are they?"

"We're not sure," Chid said. "They might still be living at your apartment, but perhaps not. But the police are treating your kidnapping as a big thing. Your face is plastered up all over the place and they've been running announcements on the news for your safe return non-stop. Also, your father has been on a couple of times begging your kidnappers to release you."

"Can't we get my parents a message somehow? At least to let them know I'm okay?"

Van looked at her with worried eyes, and still held her in his arms. "I don't think that's a good idea," he said slowly. "Don't forget the Dragon Slayers are still after you. Maybe we'll be able to come up with a way to contact them after all the media circus dies down, but I'm hesitant to move right now."

"That's right," Chid said, backing Van. "Dilandau is probably outraged about that building going down in flames and losing you. At the very least, he's probably got all his people on the lookout for you."

"I know it must be difficult," Van said reassuringly to her, "thinking of your parents worrying so frantically about you, but you must bear it. They wouldn't want you to put yourself at risk like that for their comfort. And that's exactly what you would do if you tried to contact them."

Then an awful thought occurred to her. "Do you think my parents are still safe?" she asked.

Van looked at the floor. "Probably not," he said quietly. "Dilandau could still use them to get to you. Right now, they're most certainly safe, because they're in such close contact with the police and the media, but once that dies down . . . Dilandau might try to use them as bait to try to lure you out."

"I see," Hitomi said, so relieved about her parents she could hardly think straight, but in spite of everything she still remembered she was hungry. "Van," she said, untangling herself from him. "Is there anything to eat around here? I'm starving."

"Oh yeah, the last time you had a meal was at the hospital, wasn't it? See? I warned you about not eating. Here, I'll go find you something."

Miguel got up and followed them up the stairs. "I don't think you guys are going to find much. We haven't had much by the way of food ourselves."

Just as they got to the top of the stairs, Hitomi saw there was someone standing in the living room. It was a tall man with long flowing blonde hair who was talking on a cell phone with his back to them. He bid whoever he was speaking to goodbye and flipped the phone shut, then turned around to greet them. He was built like an angel – six feet tall. Hitomi stared – did they really make men like that?

"Hey Van," he said, seeing them. "Gaddes told me you were coming back today. So, what happened at the Dragon Slayer's hideout? I had to hear it directly from you." he said. "Oh, and who's this?" he said taking Hitomi's hand and suddenly looking in her eyes.

Hitomi took an involuntary step backwards.

"Allen, this is Hitomi Kanzaki. I'm sure I've told you about her," Van said, giving Allen a look that could kill, but obviously didn't, as Allen didn't back off at all.

"Ah, I remember. Nice to meet you," he said mildly.

"Come on. I guess we'll go downstairs, so I can brief you," Van said to Allen, almost grumbling.

Allen let go of Hitomi's hand and started to follow Van down the stairs, giving her a look with his intense blue eyes like he was being parted from his long lost love – her!

Hitomi turned and was about to follow them down, but Miguel, who had been standing by, said to her, "Aw, don't bother with them. He's just going to tell Allen what happened at the stadium and with Millerna. You don't really want to hear that, do you? Come on. I'll find you something to eat."

She didn't want to, but decided that she was hungry enough to eat a wolf, and followed Miguel into the kitchen.

He went and opened the fridge. "Well," he said after observing the inside of freezer as well. "Well, we have a few options. We can either go out and hit a grocery store, call for take-out, or we can see if the expiry date on this yogurt really does mean something. Your call."

She went up to him and took the container of yoghurt out of his hand. "How long has it been expired? It might be okay if it was just yesterday." She looked at the date on the side, and exclaimed in disbelief, "November second two thousand and four! It's been here for over a year? Doesn't anyone _ever_ clean out the refrigerator?"

"Generally, we don't need to clean it out you see, because as you can see . . . there isn't anything in it," Miguel explained, seeming cheerful.

Hitomi looked in the fridge and saw exactly what he meant. There was a container of margarine, a bottle of ketchup, and a six pack of coke. That was it.

"I see." She threw the container of yogurt directly into the garbage. "I think that we had better go get some food." But just as she said it, she realized that she wouldn't be able to go the grocery store or anywhere else. "Yeah, I can't go with you."

Miguel closed the fridge abruptly. "I'm afraid not. You understand why, right? Van said that Dilandau put you up on display for all the Dragon Slayers to see. If any one of those people saw you . . . I don't know what they'd do." He crossed his arms across his chest and said, "I'm not trying to scare you, but . . . yeah. Van said you'll be staying with us, right? If you need clothes we can go buy you new ones as necessity dictates. Anyway, make up a list of things you need. It doesn't matter what it is, a nightgown, shampoo, toothbrush, whatever. Give it to me. I'll get one of the girls to go shopping for you. Be sure to include colours, sizes and little details or you'll end up sleeping in some of our clothes, and you probably won't like that. You won't need too much other than the basics as long as you're just hanging out here. When that eye is healed and those cuts, you can go buy real clothes. All right?"

"I guess that all sounds pretty reasonable."

"Good. What are you in the mood for? Pizza? Chinese food?"

"It's still morning. Could we have something sort of breakfasty?"

"I guess there are any number of fast food restaurants open right now that sell stuff like that? So, it's still your choice."

"Anything that someone might eat for breakfast is great for me. It doesn't really matter, but I'd like some apple juice."

"I can work with that. I'll be back in a little while then." He left her and went into one of the back rooms on the main level.

Hitomi sat down at the kitchen table and wondered why Miguel was being so nice to her, and that man Allen too. They treated her exactly the same way Van had treated her. Did all these guys just treat women that way? If that was the case, then did that mean that she wasn't special at all to Van, as she hoped she was?

That thought was a pretty depressing one, but Miguel came right back, and interrupted her thinking. He was wearing sun glasses, black boots, and jangling a set of keys in his hand.

"Are you going to take Van's car?" she asked, noticing that she hadn't seen another car in the drive way.

"No."

"So, you have your own car?"

"Yeah. Van's is hot though, isn't it? But, I love my car anyway. Look out that window and you'll see it." He pointed out the kitchen window that looked at the back yard.

Hitomi walked over and looked out the window. They didn't have much of a backyard. It was all fenced in, so the other neighbours didn't have to look at it. There was no grass at all, and instead the entire area was covered in gravel and obviously used as a parking lot. Hitomi saw that there was an alley behind the property that gave them access and there was a line of vehicles by the house. There were two motorcycles, a truck, and a rust coloured orange car.

"Is that your car?"

"That orange beast?" He came up and stood behind her. "That's it. You can go for a ride in it with me when your eye heals."

"What about the motorcycles and the truck? Who do they belong to?"

"The truck doesn't work very well. It's sort of like a bag of bones, and we just parked it there because we don't have anywhere else to put it. The motorcycles belong to Allen and Gaddes of course."

"Why 'of course'?"

"Do you want to make up that list now so I can take it to Merle?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Get me a paper and pen and I'll do it."

He searched for a little while until he found them. He moved the junk on the table over to one side, giving her just enough room to write down what she needed.

"Miguel?" she asked suddenly. "Is Merle Van's girl friend?"

He laughed. "That's an interesting concept. I didn't think that Van noticed women."

"Really! He's not a player or anything?" Hitomi asked, wondering if he would guess her motives.

"I think you should talk to Van about all that." It seemed to Hitomi that he was trying to change the subject. He sat down at the table next to her. "Is that list just about finished?"

"Just how specific do I have to be?"

"The more specific you are the more likely she'll be able to get you exactly what you asked for. Be pretty specific."

"This might take awhile then."

"Hitomi," Van called out from the stairs, coming into the kitchen with Allen right behind him. He saw Hitomi sitting at the table writing.

"What are you doing?" Van asked, looking at Hitomi and Miguel.

"I'm writing a shopping list," Hitomi said, and explained what Miguel had asked her to do.

"That's fine, but I thought you wanted something to eat?"

"I was going to drop the list off to Merle on my way out to get some food," Miguel said casually.

"Why go to all that trouble?" Van asked, looking confused. "Couldn't we just email it to Merle or Eries?"

Miguel looked extremely embarrassed for a moment, and then stammered, "I guess so. I'll just go get some breakfast then," he said, practically bolting out the back door.

"What's up with him?" Allen asked.

"No idea," Van said. "He's always been a little weird."

"Maybe he likes Merle. Who knew? Anyway, I had better take off," Allen said as he followed Miguel out the back door. "I've got a lot to do. See you later, Van . . . Hitomi."

The way Allen said her name made Hitomi sit upright. What was with these guys?

"Good luck," Van said to Allen just before he closed the door. He didn't seem to notice the way Allen had acted.

Hitomi sat and wrote the list while Van stood by.

"There, finished," she said, folding the piece of paper in half.

Van picked it up off the table and flipped it open to look it over when Hitomi snatched it out of his hand.

"Why did you do that?" he exclaimed.

"It's got all my sizes on it. That is a much too personal thing for a guy I just met to be looking at."

Van had it out of her hand in a second. "Can I look at it? I just want to see that you didn't forget anything important."

"But Van," she stammered.

He gazed back at her as if to say that he wasn't going to change his mind.

She got up and tried to get the piece of paper out of his hand, but it was very obvious that it wasn't going to happen. He was much taller than she was, so all he had to do was hold it over her head. "Van, I guess if you want to take advantage of a little girl in my condition," she paused. "I guess there's nothing I can do to stop you."

He smiled. "Thank you." He unfolded the piece of paper and looked at it. "If I knew more about woman's sizes, than this would probably mean something to me, but all the same, it looks very impressive to me," he laughed and handed the piece of paper back to her.

8


	11. Chapter 11

_Author's Notes: Thanks for everyone who read and reviewed over the holidays. It's back to work for lots of us now, so here's a chapter to celebrate. Happy work day!_**  
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**Chapter Eleven**

"Hey Hitomi! Do you want to see your room?" Van asked her, after he emailed her shopping list to Merle, and commented briefly that he thought Eries would have been a better person to ask. "You can have the master bedroom eventually if you want it, but for now, I think the 'guestroom' would be best."

"Don't you, or Chid, or Miguel, sleep in the master bedroom?"

"No," Van said shortly.

"Why not? It's probably the nicest in the house, isn't it?"

Van shook his head in agreement. "Yeah, it is, but that room was decorated to the taste of its last owner, whoever that was, and the wall paper alone . . . I can't sleep there. Anyway, something would have been done about it sooner if there wasn't more than enough room in this house without it. Here let me show you," Van said, taking her hand in his and taking her on a more detailed tour of the house. "Here's Chid's bedroom," he said, pushing a door open and showing her a disaster zone its owner probably wouldn't have wanted Van to show off. "And here's mine."

Van's room had almost nothing in it. The mattress wasn't even on a bed-frame. There were clothes in the closet, and there was a clock on the wall, but that was about it.

"Have you lived here long?" she asked, thinking he had to be a newcomer to the house like herself.

"No. I've lived here for over a year. When we first started out Gaddes was my roommate and he slept in Chid's room. He left to be Allen's room mate a few months ago. He's Allen's right hand man lately. Chid and Miguel had their beds set up in the basement until Gaddes left, then Chid moved his stuff upstairs. So, that's how things are now."

"What's rent here like? Is it expensive?" she asked, wondering if he'd eventually expect her to pay.

"There's no rent. This is my house," he said looking bored. "The 'guestroom' is the attic," he said, leading her further down the hall. "But first, I'll show you what is in the master bedroom to send us all running."

He opened the door for her and revealed the most hideous room Hitomi had ever seen in her life. The wallpaper! He was right. It was totally bazaar for someone to decorate their room with poodles. But besides that, the room was a good size and there was a fabulous little bathroom off to the side.

"You can use that bathroom for your personal stuff now, if you'd rather not share with us boys. Actually, don't ever come into the other bathroom. Just never walk through the door," he said going into the extra bathroom with her. "Kay?"

Hitomi laughed, "Like I'd really want to go there when you've got that expression on your face. I'll avoid it, kay?"

"All right. I'll show you the attic now. It's pretty shameful to give it to a girl, but I really haven't been here much in the past few days, and I would have done something to make it nicer for you if I realized you'd be coming. Forgive me for being an idiot. I had planned to rip down the wallpaper in the master and give you that room if you took me up on the offer I made to you at the hospital, but then everything started to happen so suddenly. Sorry. It's up these stairs," he said, opening a door that led up into the attic.

When they reached the top of the stairs, Hitomi was not at all surprised at what was there. It seemed to fit in with the rest of the house. There was a bed and a dresser with a chipped mirror above it and that was about it. There was a throw rug in front of the bed on the lino. All in all, it was a pretty dark room with a pull-string light bulb and a tiny window to the side. It seemed pretty sad to Hitomi, and she thought about asking Van if they could move the bed into the master bedroom now. Staying in this room would make her feel like a prisoner.

She was about to say something when the door clicked closed noisily behind her. She jumped. Van was leaning against the door.

"Can we talk?" he said.

"About what?" Hitomi said, unconsciously blushing and walking over to the mirror. What was his intention standing like that? Hitomi's heart was up in her throat.

"Are you certain you don't recognize me?"

Hitomi looked up at him in surprise. What was he talking about? He had asked her this question before, but she still didn't know what he was referring to. Where or how would she have met him before? She had thought it over carefully and hadn't been able to come up with an answer other than the one she had given him the first time he asked.

"I'm not sure Van. I don't think so. Where to do you think I should know you from?"

His shoulders slumped a little. "Sorry. I shouldn't ask unnecessary things." He moved away from the door and went over to the window. "Your door has a lock on it, just in case. I asked Miguel to exchange your doorknob for the one on the master bedroom last night, and it seems like he did it."

"When did you check it?"

"Just now when I shut the door, I locked it. I want us to have a little privacy without Miguel or Chid booming in. I want to tell you some things and some of them I don't really want them to hear."

"Aren't they your room mates?" Hitomi asked, checking the door herself, to make sure she knew how to work the lock too, before she joined Van by the window. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, but this room seemed creepy and she didn't want to be locked in unless she could leave whenever she wanted. She'd find a good time to ask him about moving the bed.

"You think they're my friends? Right," he said cynically. "Chid lives here because he's a genius with a computer and he's too young to get a job that would help us. Here he doesn't have to pay rent, because, like I said, this is my house. And Miguel . . . Allen asked me to take care of him, but he seems awfully conceited. And I keep asking myself weird questions about him. He's pretty useful at gathering information though, so I ought to keep quiet. He's also going to school this year to become a paramedic, which is something we really need. But, neither of them are really my friends. Like you get the luxury of living with people you like when you do what we do."

"Aren't Allen or Gaddes your friends?" she asked.

"Of course they are. I wasn't getting all pathetic, was I? I just don't want Miguel or Chid to hear our conversation. That's all." He sat down on the floor.

Hitomi sat with him.

"You look worried. What's wrong?" he asked her.

"This is just a lot different than what I expected it to be," she sighed.

"I know this room is sort of dismal, but we can still make changes to the bedroom downstairs and you can choose what you want done with it. It's my house, so you can do whatever you want to it. Is it okay if I go ahead and explain the Abaharaki to you?"

She nodded to him, but that wasn't what she wanted to do. She was happy about what he said about the room downstairs, but she wanted to ask him if he was in a relationship with Merle. She couldn't get what Merle had said to him as they were leaving out of her head, and she didn't want him to have a girlfriend. She didn't want to be just friends with him. He'd sort of acted like he liked her lots of times, but it was never anything certain, and she wasn't experienced enough in love to be able to tell. She wanted to just be bold and say, 'hey Van, do you like me?' but was too scared to do that. What if he'd only been flirting and she was too innocent and stupid to realize that he'd never been serious? Then she'd be stuck here with him, because she dared not go home to her parents to be caught by Dilandau, and their relationship would be so awkward in this house. She'd have to wait for more signals, but couldn't she at least ask about Merle? That wouldn't be so bad, would it?

"Van, is Merle . . . someone special to you?" she asked hesitantly.

His eyes bugged out. "What brought that on?" he asked, not blushing. At least he wasn't ashamed.

"Well . . ."

"I don't think she'd want me to talk about it unnecessarily."

"I see," Hitomi said, feeling flat that he didn't really answer her question.

"What are you worried about?"

"Nothing!" Hitomi said, flustering. Her face was turning purple in her embarrassment. Why had she asked him something so stupid?

Van suddenly laughed, but he didn't say anything else on the matter and jumped right into his explanation of the Abaharaki. "Well, remember how I talked to you about not killing anyone? That's where we'll start. The Dragon Slayers don't play by any rules. There is nothing they won't do. I think you saw this very clearly the other night in their stadium. We try our best to stop their various criminal activities – things like selling drugs, blackmailing innocent people into doing favours for them, loan sharking, sex trade work, and so on. You said you knew about syndicates, so I don't think I really need to elaborate beyond that. So, we never kill anyone. I'd like to add that it would be ridiculous to say that we wouldn't hurt anyone, because we do hurt people. A person has to protect themselves, and that's not to say that accidents don't happen, but," he looked at her seriously, "I think you get the general idea, and I don't want to scare you."

"Do people get hurt very often?"

"Sometimes," Van took a deep breath. "We have a doctor who will prescribe something if someone is in really bad shape, but we generally don't take anyone to see him other than for a yearly physical. Someone has to be stabbed or something serious." He looked at Hitomi to see her reaction. "I realize that may sound fairly brutal, but we can't afford to lose our doctor and if we push him harder than we have been, I think he might decide that his old underground resistance isn't as important to him as it used to be. And when you think about it, most injuries aren't all that bad. We can take care of most of it, if there is anything. He does it for free, so we don't like to bother him very often, and there are so many of us. Anyway, there are more rules; absolutely no substance abuse. We work all the time here. There aren't really any breaks. When we call you to go somewhere, you go. That's all there is to it. There are excellent reasons to go on every single mission we would send you on. If you are high, or drunk, or whatever, it'll catch up with you. You won't be as fast and you might get caught or killed. I don't mean to scare you, but it has happened. We get people who want to join us who have problems with substance abuse, and we have to have them checked clean for all kinds of drugs, before we'll even consider having them join us. They might be a weak link."

"So, is there anyone who used to have those kinds of problems who have managed to kick it off?"

"Merle used to have some problems and she managed to lick them," he admitted, not elaborating on what those 'problems' might be.

"Did Merle get that tattoo of the dragon when she was messed up?"

"You saw Merle's tattoo?"

"Yes. I thought that it was kind of interesting."

"No, the dragon tattoo is something everyone in the Abaharaki has. It's a mark of our group. It helps prove our identity to allies when we need help. The Dragon Slayers don't know what it is, but they hardly know who we are."

"But they called you 'The Dragon'. That sounded like they knew you to me."

Van turned his head and scratched his nose. "Actually . . . they're after me for different reasons," but then he quickly moved the conversation back onto the Abaharaki. "I think they're aware that there's an organized group trying to trip them up. But we've only recently begun doing things that really piss them off – like the other night, when I torched their stadium. You can bet your bootie-tailed-breeches that they didn't like that one bit. That was one of their main hideouts, and I have yet to thank you for leading me to them. It seemed kind of inappropriate to be thanking you for something like that, especially when they hurt you so much. But anyway, if you're really serious about joining us, then you'll have to get that same tattoo when your eye is better."

She thought back to Gaddes. He had a dragon tattoo as well . . . that must mean . . . "So, Van, you must have one too?"

"Yeah."

"Can I see it?"

He rolled his eyes. "Well, I decided where I wanted it, so I can't be shy about it," he said getting off the floor and standing in front of her. He started pulling on his clothes like he was going to take off his shirt.

"Wait!" she cried, instinctively covering her eyes.

"What's the problem? It's just right here," he said calmly. Then when she didn't move, he continued. "You wanted to see it."

"Fine, fine," she said, blushing hotly and taking her hands away from her eyes.

He pushed his shirt up a little ways. His pants sat low on his hips and with his shirt out of the way he revealed a red dragon between his hip bone and his navel. Hitomi turned redder than ever as heat flooded her face – his abdomen looked fantastic.

"Did that hurt?" she asked, noticing the size of it and wincing a little.

"Like hell," he said, and he started to put his clothes back into place. "This is our symbol. Well, that's not exactly true. It's _my_ symbol."

"Because you're 'The Dragon'?"

"Yeah, because I'm 'The Dragon'," he said sitting back down on the couch. "The symbol is in association with my elemental abilities. That's why the Dragon Slayers are after me. They want my power and if they can't have it than they want me dead. I shouldn't be so egotistical, but the whole reason for their name is me, and Dilandau's goal is me. The Abaharaki are just using me as an emblem to rally behind, because they know my very existence pisses off the Dragon Slayers, so I'm lending myself to them."

"That's why you didn't want to tell him your real name that time at my apartment."

"You were an angel to let me keep it secret. It would have been hell to try to escape your apartment building through your bedroom window, but I wouldn't have hesitated if you hadn't agreed."

"Really? You would have gone that far?" Hitomi asked. Her parents' apartment was on the fourth floor.

"I didn't want to give my face to him for nothing."

"But how does he even know anything about you if you've never met?"

Van shrugged. "I don't know. I think there must be someone higher than him, guiding him, who knows all about me, but I don't know who that could be."

"No?"

"I can't think of anyone who would go that far to betray me and it's really hard to find out reliable information about the Dragon Slayer hierarchy. Oh, well, I wanted to talk to you about how I got my symbol. I didn't have a choice as to what it would be. No one knew whether or not I'd be able to wield the magic or not. Only one generation has access to the power at one time, so we wouldn't be able to find out until the person who was gifted, my Uncle Balgus, died. What happens when the ability is transferred is that the recipient falls unconscious and the first thing they see when they awaken is their symbol. It's a very singular experience and cannot be mistaken as being anaemic or something like that. I get asked that dumb ass question all the time, by new recruits who doubt me."

"Who could doubt you?" Hitomi asked incredulously, thinking of the fireball he conjured.

He smiled. "It's good of you to look at me with those wide eyes, like anyone who doesn't believe in me is obviously a moron, but it isn't that simple. I don't just shoot up a pillar of fire because one of Allen's recruits doesn't think what I claim is possible. I refuse to be party to that kind of crap. Someone either believes in our cause or they don't and there's no way they should work with us just because I can do a magic trick."

Hitomi sat there looking at him. There was no way this guy was like Dilandau. She'd suspected it before, but now she knew it for certain. He was mature, intelligent and . . . really something special. She was really lucky that he had come into her life and decided to protect her. Van was SOOOO cool!

"Anyway, sort of got off topic there; like I was saying, it's a very singular experience. I was knocked out cold when Balgus died. At the time I happened to be at the New Year's parade in China Town and when I came to, that was what I saw, a Chinese dragon. It was just part of the entertainment, and I _had_ passed out on the road near the curb. I suppose I ought to be glad that I didn't see a butterfly," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "You see it's tied in with the magic. I confess that I'm not exactly sure how it works, but the symbol of the dragon has made me very strong in some elements and not strong in others."

"So, this is something that only happens in your family?" she asked, trying to understand him better.

He shook his head, "No, not just my family. There are other families who have this gift as well. What happens is actually sort of interesting. Once you receive the elemental abilities of the person who passed away, you sort of become . . . receptive to what happens with the other people who have it. For instance, if anyone else was gifted like me – anyone at all – they would fall unconscious also when I received my abilities and see the same vision I saw at the exact time I saw it. As I explained, I saw a dragon. So, all other people in the world who are like me know that there is someone out there with the symbol of a dragon. I suspect that it's from one of these people that Dilandau got his information about me. I wish I knew if they were working for him or if they just blabbed."

"So, do you know the symbols of anyone else who has the same elemental abilities as you?"

"Not exactly," Van said, scratching his nose again. "I have no idea how many people there in the world who are the same as me. I didn't see any visions before Balgus died, so I have no idea how many people are out there. I probably won't have any idea about any of that until I'm an old man and have seen the ability transferred to the next generation many times. So far, it's only happened to me once – that I saw someone receive their elemental powers."

"Oh, please tell me about it. What was that vision like when it happened to you?" she asked wistfully.

Van gave her a long look, like he wasn't confident that he should tell her.

"Oh, come on," she persisted. "Do you think I'm gonna tell Dilandau?"

"No. That's not what I thought. You're through with him now, aren't you?"

"Of course," she said steadily.

"Well, okay. I was parking my car, and I had just pulled up the emergency break when it happened. I hit my head on the head rest pretty hard, when I was knocked out. It felt like a spasm inside my body, and that's why I threw my head back, my arms too. I hit my wrist pretty hard on the car door," he explained. "Everything went dark for a moment and then I saw masses of different colours. I saw a dance hall. There were beams of light and sparkles coming from everywhere. There were the shadows of people dancing around the room, but that part wasn't very clear. I think because the person's vision hadn't cleared yet. There was a man leaning over them, touching their face and pressing his head against their chest to see if they were still breathing. Then the person's eyes suddenly focussed and the first thing she saw was an ear ring in the shape of a moon that the man was wearing. Then the colours blurred out and I woke up in my car. I thought this was rather sad for them though, that their symbol was something as weak as an ear ring. "

"Why was a guy wearing a moon-shaped ear ring? That sounds sort of . . ."

"Sorry. I probably didn't do a good job describing it. That's not exactly my strong suit. Anyway," he said resuming the other thread of their conversation. "Balgus was my uncle, but he was much younger than my father. Balgus wasn't quite forty when he died. My father didn't have the powers that Balgus and I have. My Aunt wasn't able to have children. She stayed in the country and took care of me while Balgus was involved in some trouble here in the city." He rested his head in his palm. "I'm not sure I should be telling you all this. It all gets very complicated, and very frankly – depressing."

"I'm sorry things have been so hard for you," she said, finding herself horribly inadequate in the role of comforting him, even after everything that had happened with Millerna. Well, she wasn't thinking about Millerna now. She couldn't bear to think about Millerna, so she thought harder about what she could say to Van. "But I suppose that if you dedicate your life to a higher purpose, then you'll find a way to be happy." She looked at the blue throw rug across the room and then up at Van's face.

"Well, let's get on with the rest of your 'orientation'. No stealing. No lying. No aiding the enemy in any way, which means no giving out any sort of information to unnecessary parties. You also must promise to take care of innocent/uninvolved people." He examined her face. "But I think that's as far as we'll go for now. You look worn out."

"I feel worn out, but I have one more question." She was thinking about that night in the Dragon Slayers' stadium, and the way the necklace hurt her so much. "Why did this thing hurt me like that? When I asked you about it, you were only impressed that it worked."

"It sort of works like a homing beacon; I would never have been able to find you if you hadn't been wearing it," he said touching the chain on her neck. "I'm sorry that it hurt you so much, but it will feel cold depending on how much danger you're in. It'll warn you, but you have to pay attention to it. Like if you're thinking of walking through a door, put your hand to the door knob and you other hand to your neck lace. If the neck lace feels cold, and not just the metal, but a sort of unnatural cold (you'll know what I mean) then don't go through that door. Find another way out. You'll be able to do it once you get used to it."

"Why did you give this to me?"

"Because I wanted to protect you," he said, glancing at the floor.

Hitomi looked up at him. He seemed so sincere, but something wasn't quite clicking for her. "Then why are you allowing me to join your resistance group to fight against them? I'll be in danger all the time."

"Do you remember how I told you that I thought Dilandau liked you a lot more than he was admitting to?"

She nodded.

"I think that you could do more damage than any other person we have. If he loves you, even if it is in some demented way that you couldn't possibly describe as 'love,' then you might be able to take down their whole organization in one blow. No pressure. There might have been a completely different reason for his treating you as well as he did. I don't know. I've had my boys checking out every instance that you have been with him, and seeing if they can detect anything unusual in his behaviour towards you."

"You guys still think that he was in love with me?" She raised one eyebrow at him. "That is an interesting idea, but no matter how much I think about it, I don't think that it's very realistic."

"We'll see. I want to see what happens the next time he sees you. That will only work if he sees you without any of his imps around. He won't be able to approach you freely if his Dragon Slayer buddies are hanging off him. He has to be alone. If he pulls a gun on you immediately than I'm wrong and we have to start all over again. On the other hand, if he starts talking to you, than I might be right."

"And if he pulls a gun on me and I'm dead? What then?"

"I'll protect you. He won't get a chance to pull the trigger."

Just then they heard the front door slam shut. Miguel hollered from the stairwell, "I've got food!"

Hitomi felt a little deflated about Miguel interrupting their conversation just then, but what was she going to do? She was hungry anyway, so she got up and went to the door. She turned and looked back at Van. He was looking at her, his eyes dark and . . . intense. His eye brows were knit together in a serious expression.

She went back to him and asked, "What is it?"

"This wasn't bad, was it?" he said in a timid voice.

"What are you talking about?"

"Never mind. I'm hungry." He took her hand and she helped him up.

7


	12. Chapter 12

_Author's Notes: Thanks to everyon_e who reads and reviews. I'm gonna stick a joke up here cause I heard it and now I can't get it out of my head. "What's wrong with you?" "I lost my foot bag." "It's called a sock, Einstein." Tee hee. Have a good week!**  
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* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

After eating the breakfast that Miguel had brought for everyone Hitomi went back up into her room and laid down on her bed and tried to go to sleep. She didn't normally have a hard time falling asleep during the day. All the same she couldn't seem to find a position she was comfortable in. She couldn't stop thinking about things.

She didn't want to think about her parents. It was bad enough that she couldn't contact them to let them know that she was okay. She knew they were worried sick, and she was helpless to do anything to help them. It was better for her to find something else to think about.

It was easy to think about Van. He was very thin, wasn't he? Didn't he find time to eat? She hadn't thought of him as the 'hero' type when she first saw him on the bus, yet he was one. He saved her. His eyes were dark brown, and soft. She couldn't get them out of her mind. Yet, it was obvious that he had suffered a great deal just by looking into his eyes. She thought about the times that he had come to her rescue, including when he pretended to be her boyfriend in front of Dilandau. He really was her friend. It made sense that he wanted to have her join the Abaharaki if he truly thought that she could progress their cause to the extent he claimed. It was a comfort that she had a place to go, with people who would help protect her. He had protected her from the first.

At last she felt very safe and she drifted off to sleep.

She woke up in the late afternoon. Her mouth had a dry taste in it. She felt all together dirty, and she wasn't going to put off that shower for another moment. She had waited long enough. She got up out of bed. She hadn't gotten under the blankets during her nap, so she didn't have to bother with making the bed. Hitomi opened the bedroom door and went down the stairs. At first she didn't see any one. They were probably all in the basement in the office space she had seen earlier. She went down the stair case to find someone – she needed a towel.

Downstairs, she saw that none of the computers were turned off. Miguel was sitting there, with his arms stretched. He was working the mouse controls on two of the computers. She couldn't help laughing just a little bit when she saw him.

He turned around and looked at her.

"Hi," she said walking towards him. "Do you need a little help?"

"Uh. Hi Hitomi. Nah. I'm cool. Besides I'm almost done. Tell me, did you have a good sleep?"

"It wasn't bad. Are you sure that you don't need any help?"

"I'm positive," he said, flashing Hitomi a brilliant smile.

"In that case, I was thinking of having a shower. Do you guys keep clean towels around?"

"I know that Van started washing some. I think he started the dryer on them before he left. The laundry room is in that corner of the basement," he said, pointing. "Think you can find it?"

"Sure I can. Thanks," she said and went in search of the washer and dryer.

Like they would be hard to find; it wasn't like the house was a mansion. She popped open the dryer and found the towels. She pulled one out that seemed large enough for her. Then she turned around and made her way back to the stairs. She didn't stop to talk to Miguel, but she peeked in and saw him with his arms stretched out as before. Why didn't he let her help?

The bathroom Van had suggested she use was very clean - sparkling. There was wash bucket in the corner with a sponge and cleanser. It had to have been Van who had done this for her. She wanted to go thank him for being so considerate of her, but Miguel had said that he left. Too bad, but she'd tell him when he got back.

She locked the door behind her and pulled her T-shirt over her head. It didn't smell too pretty. Then she looked in the mirror at her bruised face. With a little make up, it wouldn't be as bad as she thought. If she wore sunglasses, no one would even realize that her eye was a little puffy. The cut beside her lip was much worse, and would be much more noticeable. Maybe it was too early to go all out to try to impress Van, but she wanted to show some improvement by the time he got back. Maybe a shower was all the improvement she could hope for. Nope, she wouldn't be a diva until she healed.

She unzipped her pants. She needed a change of clothes badly. These felt positively grimy. How long was she going to have to wait for Merle to get those things bought? She didn't want to put any of those clothes back on her body. Maybe she could wash them if Merle wasn't going to be there that night. She ran a hand through her hair. Hitomi didn't think that could get much grosser.

Maybe she had imagined it, but she thought that Van seemed to like her anyway, and she had looked this bad when they had their conversation before breakfast. No, he probably didn't really like her. She had just lost her best friend, almost murdered in front of a crowd, and to top it all off, she couldn't go home to her family. He was probably just trying to be nice to her. But thinking that way really hurt her feelings, because, bit by bit, she was starting to realize that she liked him. Not just in a casual fun way, but really really liked him. He was the kind of guy she could lose her heart to, and if he didn't care for her back . . .

She steered herself away from those thoughts and opened the shower door. She was going to be brave about all this, and the first step to winning him over was definitely having a shower.

When she got out of the shower she was a little disappointed that she didn't have any deodorant to put on. She didn't even have a comb to comb through her hair with. She looked down at her clothes. She really didn't want to put those back on. She stood there drying herself and considering what she was going to do. In the end, she decided to go put her clothes in the washer. She would wear the towel for the trip downstairs and then go straight back up to her room. She thought that she could just stay there until her clothes needed to be put in the dryer.

On her way to the basement, she heard voices in the kitchen. It was then that she realised that her plan had been a little dependant on the idle hope that no one would have come home yet, and that Miguel would stay in the office. She had to go past the kitchen to get to the stair case that went down stairs, so she would have to walk past them with her towel and dishevelled hair. _Great._

Hitomi glanced into the kitchen as she hurried by. Van was there talking with Miguel, but they didn't seem to notice her. She almost made it to the stairs, but just as she was passing the front entrance, a girl burst into the house without even knocking. Then there was an awkward moment as the two of them stared at each other. Hitomi clutched her towel in one hand and her dirty clothes in the other. She was like a deer in the headlights.

"Hi," Hitomi said, trying to sneak by.

"Hello," the girl said. "You must be Hitomi. I'm Eries. Oh, dear, you do look bad. Cheer up! I went shopping for you." It was then that Hitomi saw that the girl was practically overflowing with shopping bags.

"Good timing," Hitomi said, obviously relieved. "Thank you for doing this. Can I put them on now?"

"You'd better. Here take these. There are still some bags in the car." She was about to hand the bags to Hitomi, when she saw that Hitomi's hands were also full. "Oh, wait. You can't. Van," she called down the hall. "Come and take these bags so that this girl can get some clothes on."

"Wait! Why did you call him?" Hitomi gasped, not wanting to be seen in her towel.

"Don't be nervous," she said, eyeing Hitomi's dishevelled state. "Every guy in this house is a gentleman . . . sort of. Besides, this is a lot to carry."

Van came into the entry way. His eyes went straight to Hitomi. Then he took the bags from Eries. "Are you sure you _want_ to get dressed?" he asked Hitomi, obviously flirting.

"Don't be disgusting," Eries reprimanded before and she went back out the door.

Van turned and headed down the hall towards the attic steps. She followed him easily enough, happy that he was in front of her. He couldn't look at her that way. She was uncomfortable as it was. The dang towel wasn't long enough and she kept tugging on it to make sure it stayed flat.

He set the bags down on her bed. He looked fairly controlled, like he didn't want to look at her. He didn't say a single word as he closed the door behind him.

Hitomi dropped her dirty clothes on the end of the bed and began to look through the things that Eries had bought her. She found almost exactly what she expected to get. Eries was right on top of the situation. She took things out of the bags and began to take off the labels.

Just then there was the expected knock on the door. It was Eries. Hitomi opened the door for her.

"That's all of them. Gee chicky, you didn't ask for very many things."

"I really want to go shopping later."

"So, you're going to scrape by with the bear minimum until then?"

"That was my plan."

Eries had light blonde hair and dark eyes. She seemed serious and not at all attracted to Van. Hitomi liked her at once. She seemed to have an air of confidence, like she seemed to know exactly what she was about. Hitomi thought that was a rare thing to find.

"I thought Merle was going to go shopping for me," Hitomi said. "Why did you end up going instead?"

"Frankly, Merle and I were confused as to why she was asked as well. Today was my day off from work, and so I was the obvious choice. Besides, I thought that shopping was a great way to spend my day."

"I hope that it didn't take too long."

"I started at around ten this morning, but don't worry how long it took me. That's not important. I had a great time."

"You live with Merle, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't I see you while I was there?" Hitomi asked.

"I was asleep. I was out pretty late last night with Allen. Don't you want to try these clothes on? I really want to see how well they fit you. I mean I want to see how talented I really am – buying clothes for a girl I've never met."

After they had found the underwear Eries found for her, Hitomi began to try on the clothes. There weren't very many of them actually. There were a few pairs of pyjamas and some socks. Mostly Hitomi had asked for really practical items. She didn't realize how many products she used in just one day until she had to write them all down. Most of the things Eries bought fit just right, or as good as if Hitomi had gone to the store herself.

"Where do you work Eries?"

"I'm an Assistant Manager at the Club. I've been working there since we noticed that Dilandau likes to spend his off time there. I saw you there with Van awhile ago. That's when things started to get messy for you, isn't it?"

"You've got that right." Hitomi sighed as she pulled a white T-shirt over her head. It was meant to go along with the men's jeans Eries had picked for her.

"I have to ask you this," Eries said. "Are you sorry that it happened? I mean that you met Van and came in with us?"

"No, I'm not sorry that I met Van. I am sorry about Millerna though that I feel sick when I think about her, but I don't think that's Van's fault. Everything is still sort of freaking me out if that's what you meant," she said as she buckled up the black belt.

Eries sat down on the bed. "Still there must have been some reason why you were willing to join us. Why? Or do you mind me asking?"

Hitomi blushed. She couldn't help it; her brain was full of thoughts about Van. She tried to cover it and hoped that Eries wouldn't notice.

"I see," Eries said coldly.

_Crap, she noticed!_

"You're here for Van then, aren't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Hitomi attempted to say breezily.

"That really wasn't a wise choice. Getting involved because of him – not a good idea," Eries said, looking very serious and shaking her head.

"What do you mean?"

"You don't even know him. You can't know him very well. You only met him for the first time a few weeks ago, didn't you? How can you make a major life decision based on a passing crush?"

"Don't you think that's a little harsh?" Hitomi stormed back, upset that she was being challenged by a stranger. "I didn't know that Dilandau was going to turn out to be part of a syndicate. I didn't mean for my best friend to walk in on that mess, and end up getting killed for it. You don't know anything about me," Hitomi said on the point of tears.

"All right," she admitted. "That was a little harsh, but I've seen it happen before, especially with Van and Allen, and I just don't want to see someone else get hurt because they don't want to miss out on a romance."

"What are you talking about?"

"It just happens sometimes. Van will recruit a girl, and she thinks he's in love with her and he honestly never thought seriously about her. He was only thinking about the Dragon Slayers and how to beat them. He was just misunderstood."

"I don't think Van's like that."

"Hasn't Van told you anything about himself?" Eries asked, cocking her head.

"He has told me . . . some things."

"Oh, so he's talked to you about how gifted he is. Well, from what I heard from Merle about what happened at the stadium, that's not really surprising. You probably needed an explanation, ne? He's not really conceited, and he doesn't usually like to talk about it, but he will if he has to."

"He didn't strike me as conceited," Hitomi said, "but, no, he hasn't told me a lot about himself."

"You're seventeen, aren't you, Hitomi?"

"Yeah."

"Hmm. That might explain why he didn't exactly volunteer information about himself. He probably didn't want to scare you off."

"What about him would scare me off?" Hitomi asked, interested.

"Well, you're a high school student," Eries said, sounding very wise. "He wouldn't want to admit that he's twenty-two and graduating from university this year. He's completely out of your league."

"He's twenty-two?" Hitomi gasped, knowing she never would have gone near him if she knew he was that much older than her. She might have thought he really was a stalker, or a pervert. And what was more; he was pitted up against Dilandau who was only a few months older than her!

"See? I knew it would scare you."

"But Dilandau's only a little older than me! Why are you fighting kids like this then?" Hitomi blurted.

"Don't! I repeat – don't – compare Dilandau to Van. Dilandau is a pawn for people higher up and bigger. It's also big bonus for him that he's under eighteen, cause then if he ever gets nailed for something, he'll be treated like a minor. That doesn't mean that Dilandau's not dangerous though, because he is. Dilandau is after Van because it will impress the real powers behind the Dragon Slayers, but he's no match for Van. I don't even know why Van even bothers monitoring Dilandau. He's just a kid, and there are so many more important people to be followed and checked up on."

"Maybe you should ask him," Hitomi suggested hotly, feeling defensive. She didn't like to hear Eries criticize him.

"But see? I've only told you one tiny fact about him, and you're already distressed. You don't know anything about him. Listen, I'm not really trying to scare you off. I'm just trying to make sure that you're in this for the right reasons. It would be a shame for your young feelings to be hurt. Besides, it's still not too late to back out."

"So, what are you saying I should do?"

"Just figure out why you're doing all this," Eries said.

"I was pretty confident about why I joined the Abaharaki, and I thought my reasons were pure, with, or without Van," Hitomi said.

"That's good to hear, but you haven't convinced me that you're not interested in him. But here; I'll tell you a secret. Then maybe you'll understand how pointless it is to pursue him. Every member of the Abaharaki has a tattoo of a dragon. You knew that right?"

"Yes."

"Well, Van has another tattoo as well. This isn't common knowledge, so please don't blab this to anyone without good reason, all right?"

"Of course," Hitomi said.

"He has a tattoo of a crescent-shaped moon on his left shoulder blade. I know that he shows it to a girl when he rejects her."

"You've seen it?" Hitomi blurted. "Did you love Van and confess to him?"

Eries stared. "No. Idiot. I've never confessed to Van. I'm not interested in him. Are you kidding? This is what I've heard."

"Oh . . . Keep going."

Eries rolled her eyes. "Anyway, he has this tattoo and he shows it to girls when he rejects them. He says that it's a tribute to the woman he loves – a woman he's never met – and as long as he lives, he'll love no one else but her."

"That's really romantic," Hitomi said quietly.

"Deathly romantic . . . to the girl who hears it when she's laid her heart on the line for him. At least he's not as bad as Allen. Well, if you're comfortable that you're here for the right reasons, you shouldn't have a problem living in the same house as him. Good luck!"

6


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

Eries had to go back to work that evening, so she didn't hang around at the house long after warning Hitomi. Besides, the air was strange between the two of them. Hitomi didn't know what to say to her after she'd been so obviously found out.

Apparently, Van had gone to the grocery store and bought some groceries. Hitomi had a dinner of grilled cheese sandwiches while sitting at the table with the three guys. Hitomi had eyed the still-messy kitchen and thought that she ought to clean it, but she still didn't feel well enough. Her body really hurt, so instead, she went and laid down on the couch in the living room. It was less dreary than her bedroom in the attic. Van followed her and sat down by her and put her feet on his lap.

"You still don't feel very well, do you? Are you sure you wouldn't like a painkiller?" he asked, looking concerned.

"No, it's fine. I just want to rest," she said, putting a hand on her forehead and looking at the sky through the drapes of the living room window. It was stormy out, just like on the night she met Van. "So," she said, trying to sound like it didn't matter much. "What are you taking in university? What's your major?"

"Chemistry," he said, almost as though it was the worst thing in the world.

"Don't you like it?" she asked.

"No," he said drearily. "I _do_ like it. That isn't it at all."

"What's wrong then?"

"It's just that I've probably become an old man compared to you, that's all," he said running a hand through his dark hair.

"I was surprised when Eries told me you were twenty-two," Hitomi admitted. "I didn't think you were that much older than me, but it makes sense. I doubt a teenager would be as confident as you are."

"Eries told you? And is there anything else Eries told you about me?"

Hitomi smiled and winked at him as cheerfully as she could, "Just that all the girls love you."

Van frowned. "I see."

"You look like that bothers you. Why would it? I think it would be nice to be popular with . . . well anybody."

"You can see it that way if you want to," he said bitterly. "Well, I can only guess what else she said to you. At least she isn't as hard on me as she is on Allen. He gets chewed out by her on a regular basis."

"Do you think that's because secretly she likes him and can't stand a skirt-chaser?"

"No, I can guarantee that that's not what it is. I'm sure you'll become acquainted with their relationship soon enough and it does not resemble a romance in disguise. I don't think she could say the things she says to Allen and secretly be in love with him. It doesn't make sense. They argue all the time."

Hitomi shrugged her shoulders. "Well, there you have it."

Suddenly, Hitomi noticed that he was absently rubbing the sole of her foot with his thumb. She wanted to pipe up and ask him what he was doing, but presently remembered what Eries had told her about his second tattoo, and controlled herself. He probably treated everyone this way, but his touch was such a new sensation for her. No one had ever touched her like that before, and she found herself tensing up. He was just trying to be kind; she told herself furiously and tried to concentrate on what he was saying next.

"And are you the kind of girl who can't stand a skirt-chaser?" he asked.

What was he doing? The sound of his voice was too mellow, too deep, too persuasive . . . what was he trying to do to her?

"I'd like a guy who thought I was special," she said seriously, but because she was dead sick of being screwed around by guys who had no intention of sticking around she continued to say daringly, "What about you? Don't you have someone you're waiting for?"

"Eries told you about that too, huh? What did she tell you?"

"Just that you have a tattoo of a moon on your shoulder for the girl you love. I thought it was very sweet," she said, smiling at him.

" . . . Really?" he said, absently letting go of Hitomi's foot.

"Even sweeter because she said it was for a girl you'd never met. I thought it was extremely romantic. It's really no wonder you're so popular with the girls around here, being forbidden fruit and everything."

He gave her a strange look. "That's how you see me?"

She inclined her head weakly in assent. She didn't know what to say. It seemed kind of stupid to confess her feelings right now. She really didn't want to tell him what she had been thinking about him until she heard all those things about him from Eries. Even though Hitomi said his tattoo was romantic, and she meant it, it still meant that she never had a chance at him. She resolved that she would never see it. She would never tell him her feelings if that meant that he'd show her his picture of his love for someone else. It would hurt too much. She'd have to keep her thoughts to herself and remember that he wasn't available. Not for her; not for anyone.

"So, you see me as this untouchable person who would lead a girl on, just to hurt her feelings?" he said dryly.

"No," she said quickly. "I mean, you're really fantastic. Everything about you is fantastic. You couldn't fall in love with just an ordinary girl. She'd have to be something pretty extraordinary in order to be good enough for you . . . I hope you find her someday," Hitomi said miserably.

"You must admire me, to say something like that."

"I do," Hitomi said quickly, not realizing that she was admitting to something almost equivalent to romantic love in a man's mind.

He paused and regarded her seriously. "I guess that'll have to do, for now."

What did he mean by _that_?

"Well, anyway, I wanted to start talking to you about my plans for you as a member of the Abaharaki," he said. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to go out until two things happen. The first one is that the police need to stop looking for you. The second thing is that you need to heal. Your eye looks even better now though."

"Thanks," she replied, touching her face.

"It'll probably be several weeks before the police give up though. I think you're going to be bored hanging around here. You can learn to help Chid and Miguel with media watching though, and you can strip the master bedroom of that hideous paper if you'd like."

"I'm gonna clean," she said resolutely.

"Don't clean," he said sternly.

"Sorry Van. I can't live in a place this dirty, and I have to pay rent somehow."

"You don't have to pay rent. I told you. This is my house, and I said you could stay, so that's all there is to it, okay?"

"Why do you own a house anyway? It seems a little strange for you to already own your own home," she said, tucking her feet under her, since it didn't look like he was going to put them back in his lap.

"I helped a lady get her son out of the Dragon Slayers several years ago, and when she died she left me her house in her will."

"So this is her house?" Hitomi said, looking at the walls with new appreciation.

"No," he said. "I couldn't have handled living in her home. I put it on the market immediately and sold it for a decent price. Then I bought this house, which is not anywhere near as nice. You see, I wanted to go to university, and didn't have any money to fund it, so . . . that's where I got the money; profit from the sale of her house."

"And your car?" she asked, suddenly understanding why he had such a stunner.

"That was a present from the son. Obviously, not a poor family, but he didn't want to join the Abaharaki and he wanted to show his appreciation somehow."

"Wasn't he annoyed that she left her house to you?"

Van glanced at her and smiled wickedly. "Sure, I think he would have been upset if it was her only house. Despicably wealthy family really."

"You sound like you don't like them."

"It's not really that. It was just a guy in my high school who behaved like a prick, and I helped him out not because I liked him, but because I thought he was getting himself into more trouble than he could handle, and it was going to affect more people than he realized. It turned out that I was right. It's bad when a poor kid gets involved in a syndicate, but a good looking rich kid can be well . . . very powerful."

"Why?"

"They're excellent recruiters. Anyway, I helped him. His mother gave me a house and he gave me a car. I really ought to be more grateful than I am. With their help, they've pretty much set me up for life. I'll be starting Law school in the fall, and then once that's done, maybe I'll be able to start doing some real damage instead of the petty attacks we've been doing thus far. But then, I don't know how much we'll be able to prove. That's why I need Miguel and Chid to work hard."

"I thought you said I could help take them down?" she asked jokingly.

"I sure do think you can drop Dilandau. One step at a time. Anyway, I want to make sure you'll be comfortable here, because I won't be here much of the time. I have school and I have a lot of group things to do. I don't want to desert you, but I have . . . commitments. But I'll try to be around as much as I can. And I'll help you wallpaper that room, or paint it – whatever you want. And I'll take you to go get your tattoo when you're ready."

"I have to?" Hitomi asked. She had never thought about getting a tattoo before, and it had to be of a dragon? Wait . . . Van was the dragon. Oh, this was going to be dreadful! She'd have to get a tattoo symbolizing him on her body! She felt weak. This wasn't going to be a good idea since he didn't love her back. She wasn't, as of yet, passionate about the cause, at least not enough to want to have it memorialized on her flesh. She'd have to live her whole life with a mark that meant nothing to her but that she was in love with Van, and he loved someone else. How wretched!

He looked downcast. "You don't want to do it?"

She sighed and tried desperately to think of an excuse he would buy. "I just don't like the idea of a needle," she said at last.

"That's why?" he questioned, searching her eyes.

"Yes," she lied.

"Well," he said, seeming to accept the lie, "I guess we'll deal with that bridge when we come to it. There's no reason to rush you. Besides, when you're better, the first thing I'd like you to do is go visit Dilandau."

"Dilandau? Are you crazy? What would he do if he saw me?"

"That's what I want to find out."

"And I'll be safe?"

"I guarantee it," he said with a savage smile. "I wouldn't let him hurt you."

He was getting that look in his eyes again. That look like he was about to say something that made her blush, that made her excited, that made her feel like a relationship with him was not impossible. His hair was falling in his eyes and brushing his cheek. Hitomi had to stop him. She couldn't let him hurt her like Dilandau had.

She panicked and almost shouted, "Won't you tell me about the girl you've been waiting for?"

He yawned. "You're really interested, ne?"

"I'm _really_ interested!" she feigned. "So, what does she look like? Do you know?"

He regarded her patiently and waited a moment before answering.

"Well? Aren't you going to answer me?" Hitomi blurted when she couldn't wait anymore.

"I'd like to, but this is just too much fun," he said, looking extremely amused.

"Why? Do you really like tormenting young girls after all?"

"All right," he conceded. "I'd hate for you to hold this against me. She's pretty."

"But what does she look like? Does she have black hair, or blonde? Do you think she'll like you back? I need details," Hitomi said, scrambling to keep him from looking at her like he wanted more than friendship from her.

"I'll try my best to describe her, but I probably can't tell you the exact details you so crave. I'll do my best. She's someone," he started out wistfully, staring at the ceiling, "I don't have the nerve to introduce myself to. I think she can't possibly care for me the way I care for her. I'm all wrong for her, and she's all wrong for me. But, I can't seem to make that part of our strange relationship matter to me. It doesn't matter at all."

Hitomi's heart jerked at what he was saying. He was so . . . Her breathing was becoming shallow. Oh, she thought she would faint she was so fascinated by him.

There was a lamp behind Van and the light from it outlined his features; the lump in his throat, the curve of his jaw, and made his words seem all the more poignant. But, more than anything, it showed the look in his eyes as he described the girl who had his heart, and who didn't know it.

"I have to work a lot, but I find excuses to be near her. She doesn't notice me, not even when I put myself in front of her. I get used to this routine, and constantly make the decision not to force myself on her. I'd like for her to notice me on her own, but as time passes, it seems more and more likely that she'll never see me. I pay attention to what she likes, and what she wants, and dream of the day that I can give her and show her things she's only pictured in her mind. I think about her a lot, and the more I think the more it seems impossible. I call myself an idiot, because I know I'm dedicating myself to unrequited love, but the more I step away, the more I seem to be pulled in by my attraction for her. I should really give up. Like I said, I'm all wrong for her."

" . . . But you won't give up, will you?" Hitomi said slowly, feeling completely stricken by the intensity of his words.

"Never."

5


	14. Chapter 14

_Author's Notes: Thanks to my readers - I'm still doing this. Cheers!_**  
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**Chapter Fourteen**

It had been weeks since Hitomi joined the Abaharaki. Finally, both the things Van had named as conditions for her to be allowed access to the outside world happened. The search for her had been called off, much to the dismay of Hitomi's parents. Chid wouldn't let her see the interviews the media had taken with her family or see any of the articles. He said it wouldn't do her any good, and Van comforted her reminding her that she would be able to see them sooner than she thought.

During the time in between her arrival at the house and Van's proclamation that she was now somewhat free, she had a lot of work to do. The moment that Hitomi proved that she was computer literate; the boys had her go to work. She spent a lot of the time in the basement with Miguel and Chid. She had to admit, Chid was one heck of a hacker, and Miguel was nice to her, and showed her how to do things on the computer that she hadn't known how to do before. He had a passion for computer games, which he never had the chance to play. She noticed that he didn't get very much sleep. He had enough of a work load with the Abaharaki, and his school work, and then he wanted to play these games, so he would stay up late at night playing with Chid. Hitomi tried her best to help them do all the research Van needed.

Sometimes Gaddes would come and help on one of the slower computers, and they still couldn't keep up with all the information Van needed. Gaddes and Chid mostly went through all the newspaper articles and such that she and Miguel came up with. They had to go through everything that might have anything to do with the Dragon Slayers. After she had gone through a few T.V. and radio news reports that Van had given her, there was no doubt in her mind that the Dragon Slayers were a whole lot more than what she had seen in the stadium. They were much more dangerous than she thought. They had their fingers in all kinds of businesses, but that was natural. He said they were a syndicate.

Van came down often between his classes to see how they were doing. He would read over the material Gaddes and Chid had edited. Hitomi would watch him out of the corner of her eye. He got lots of phone calls as well. There were three phone lines going into the house, besides their internet connection, and sometimes all three lines would ring and everybody had to talk to Van.

Hitomi had no idea how he managed to find the time to come and talk to her with all his commitments and his mystery girl, but he would somehow, and he came every single day. He might wake her up late at night after she had gone to bed just to see how she was doing, or he might wake her up early in the morning before he went out for the day. She wanted to spend hours with him, but that wasn't possible. Someone was always coming and telling him that he had to hurry. She tried her best to understand, since she had no real claim on him, and she was starting to understand how important their work was, but she still found it a little frustrating. It was like her best friend running out on her every single time. Even though he didn't return her feelings, she didn't feel as close to Miguel or Chid as she did to Van, and she was lonely a lot of the time. She tried to do her best to make things easier for him, and only ended up making herself more like his personal secretary, taking messages and relaying information.

She learned more things about the Abaharaki as well. She thought that there were only a few members here and there, but she soon found that she was wrong about that. There were lots of them, and they were all working very hard for the Abaharaki in their respective positions. They chose careers that would help them take down the Dragon Slayers. She learned that Van had arranged for half a dozen of his people to go take broadcasting and nursing courses at the collage. She found out that one of them had just gotten a job at a local television station. When it was suggested that she start to make up her mind about what sort of job she'd like to have to aid the cause, she found herself thinking about it very seriously. Before, when she considered her career options, she had always concentrated on what would make the most money and provide her with the most comfortable lifestyle. Deciding on a career based on how you could help society was different for her, and she began to wonder exactly how selfish she'd been in the past. She shared Van's passion for chemistry and had considered becoming a pharmacist, but she wasn't sure how helpful that would be to the Abaharaki.

She asked Van about it one day; if it would be okay for her to study with the intention of becoming a pharmacist. Would it be a useful occupation?

He laughed a little and scratched the back of his neck. "I don't think it can be helped. Of course you'd want to do chemistry, but try not to let it bother you for the time being. We're going to have a hard enough time getting your papers together so that you'll be able to finish high school. What a pity we had to pull you."

"But, will it be helpful?" she persisted.

"Perhaps," he said, shrugging his shoulders and opening the refrigerator.

Hitomi also spent a good deal of time cooking and cleaning. She meant what she said when she told Van she intended to clean. At first, she thought that it was going to be incredibly disgusting and not-fun in any way, but it was satisfying to clean something that really needed to be cleaned. Hitomi didn't think any of the boys really cared whether she tidied up the house or not. What really endeared her to them was her cooking. Chid had hardly had a home-cooked meal in his life, and to say he appreciated her efforts was an understatement. He practically worshipped her. Even without Van and Miguel's compliments, Chid's love was more than enough to keep her motivated when it came to cooking. Eries and Merle would come over sometimes for meals as well and help Hitomi, which Hitomi appreciated since otherwise there would have been no one there for her to be friends with.

Despite Hitomi's first meeting with Eries, she found that Eries was really a good person and a good friend. She just didn't want to see another mess in the group, and Hitomi could understand that. Apparently, that's what she spent all her time arguing with Allen over.

Merle was a different story. It wasn't that she was ever obviously mean to Hitomi, but she always made it very clear that she didn't welcome her.

And then there was her relationship with Van, something that got on everyone in the group's nerves – not just Hitomi's. No wonder Van had a reputation for leading women on. While watching them, he never told Merle that it wasn't okay to snuggle up to him on the couch, even though everyone knew that he had no interest in her whatever. Whenever Merle greeted him or said good-bye to him, she would throw her arms around his neck and dramatise the event like it was the worst possible disaster that they should be forced to part. In all fairness, it wasn't as though Van encouraged her; he just never seemed to fight for his personal space. He didn't talk to her romantically, and often he spoke to her less than any other person in the room, even though she was hanging off his waist. Hitomi never saw them kissing, and it didn't look like Van had any intention of ever doing anything of the sort.

Although there wasn't much time for socializing, Hitomi sort of dreaded the times that they were, because it was a sure thing that Merle would be there and she would be doing her best to monopolize Van the entire time. During these times, Hitomi would catch Eries giving Van dirty looks, but she obviously didn't seem to have the same motivation for laying into him as Allen. Even so, she had complained privately to Hitomi of the stupidity of both Van and Merle. If Van didn't like her, he shouldn't let her believe that someday she'd be able to win him. Eries wanted him to be meaner, because even though he had told Merle numerous times that he wasn't interested; she kept right on confessing to him. AT REGULAR INTERVALS!

Hitomi used to lay awake at night thinking about it, and at the same time hope that Van would knock on her door to have a midnight chat with her. He did that with Merle and he still thought that he could wake Hitomi up at two a.m.? No wonder Eries had such a poor opinion of him!

Once Hitomi moved in, Merle would come over nearly every day after she was through work at the police station. She insisted on having a little meeting about the day's events with Van. She kept a record of pertinent things that happened during the day, but she insisted on going over it with Van in person, even though it could be done in two minutes over the telephone or better yet - via email. Everytime Hitomi saw these little encounters she really wanted to snap at Merle. Like Van had time! Hitomi thought he put up with it, because he saw her as a useful part of their team. It only took a few minutes and it was time he didn't seem to mind giving away if it was going to keep her happy. Hitomi wondered sometimes if he tolerated _her_ like he tolerated Merle. When Hitomi put it that way, she wondered if she was a burden on him, but then changed her mind. He would come to see _her_, not the other way around. Anyway, it didn't seem to Hitomi that Van ever sought Merle's company.

Now she was in the basement with Miguel. The printer was buzzing happily away. It didn't matter that Hitomi was there to help Miguel, he was still stretching himself across two computer stations, trying his best to organize all the information that needed to be downloaded. Apparently, he needed two desktops to keep his work organized and hadn't been able to get the duel monitor function on the server to work. Hitomi was arranging the most important things of the day in a little mail-out she would be emailing everyone a little later in the day.

Suddenly Allen walked in, "Is anyone here besides you two?" he asked, holding his head in his hands.

"No," Hitomi looked up at him.

He had a cut on his forehead, and blood running down his temple.

"What happened to you?" she asked, jumping up from her swivel chair.

"Can you dress it Hitomi?" He was holding onto the door frame. He was having a hard time standing.

"Of course," she said, putting her arm around his waist, and pulling his arm over her shoulder. "It's okay. You can lean on me." She directed him back up the stairs, leaving Miguel in the basement. "What happened to you Allen?"

"I was at that new building site on the edge of town. Gaddes got a job there. I was picking him up from work."

"Did someone do this to you?"

"As good as I am, I can't take on five guys myself when I've no weapon," he muttered. He touched his finger tips to the wound and looked at his red fingers. "They thought I was snooping. Actually, I'm probably lucky that I managed to run for it and make it here. There's no doubt about it. That building is going to be the new stadium for the Dragon Slayers."

"And Gaddes is helping to build it?" Hitomi gasped, completely shocked.

"Don't worry. His involvement will do us more good than harm, as long as he's okay."

"Did you talk to him? Did those men find out who he was?"

"I managed to convince the guys who surrounded me that I was only there to pick up Gaddes. I don't think they realized who I was. They said that he got a ride home with someone else," Allen said wearily, as they reached the top of the stairs.

Whenever someone wasn't accounted for, Hitomi got nervous. She took Allen into the bathroom and set him down on the toilet seat. She wadded up some tissue paper and put it to the wound. She lifted his hand up to it. "Put pressure on it. Okay? I'll be right back. Sorry, I can't do better, but I have to call Gaddes to make sure that he got home all right. You weren't late picking him up were you?"

"I didn't think so. Do you think I'll need stitches?"

"I don't know, but hang on a second." She went out of the bathroom to get the cordless phone just in time to see Merle and Van coming in. Merle was laughing. What had _they_ been doing?

Hitomi frowned.

"Hello Hitomi," Van said cheerfully.

She shot Van a dirty look and didn't answer him. How could he be so carefree? She picked up the phone and the directory of all the numbers they used on a regular basis. She dialled Gaddes' number and looked up at Van. He looked worried. She had the phone up to her ear and she was listening. It rang but no one answered the phone. Finally, she got the voice mail. The machine told her back the number she had dialled, but didn't give any other information - standard procedure. Then it beeped and she could leave a message. "Hello, Gaddes? It's me. Where are you? Please call as soon as you get in." She hung up the phone.

"What's happened?" Van asked, suddenly paying attention to only Hitomi.

Hitomi looked at him. She didn't say anything, but gave him a repeat of the dirty look she had given him previously and went back to the filthy boy's bathroom. Allen was still sitting there with the tissue pinned to his head. He had blood in his hair. She got out the first aid kit, and took out the hydrogen peroxide.

Van followed her in and saw Allen. "What's going on?" he asked severely.

Allen answered him. "I went to get Gaddes from the construction site, and he wasn't there. I had a little 'encounter' with some of his co-workers. But don't worry Van, it worked out all right. I just got a slight hit on the head. I was lucky I didn't pass out. Hitomi, was he at home?"

"No," she said putting some hydrogen peroxide on a cotton ball. "Okay, take the tissue off."

"Is there anything else?" Van interrupted.

"This guy on the site told me that he went home with someone else."

"Anything else?" Van asked.

Allen shook his head. "Only that I have this angel caring for me now," he said in his mellow voice.

"Try not to move your head Allen. Besides, you're distracting me," Hitomi said, flirting. It wasn't that she wanted to flirt with Allen especially, but she was pissed off at Van for being so . . . useless about his situation with Merle. "Tell me if this hurts too much. Okay?" She dabbed the cotton ball on Allen's wound.

Then Allen did something unexpected. At least, Hitomi had not expected it. She probably should have after listening to Eries' rants about Allen's womanizing. Van was standing in the doorframe looking on gravely, and Hitomi had been dressing Allen's cut. When suddenly Allen took her hand gently in his and put Hitomi's wrist to his mouth.

"My angel," he said softly, looking deeply into Hitomi's eyes.

She blushed hotly – so shocked she was. She must have turned eight shades of red, but she managed to say, "It's nothing . . . I don't think you're going to need stitches."

"Thank you for caring for me," he said, letting go of her hand.

Hitomi fumbled with the gauze, and taped it to the clean wound. "I'll just clean that blood out of your hair," Hitomi said reaching to turn the tap on.

Van grabbed her wrist first (incidentally the same wrist that Allen had just kissed), and said huskily, "That's enough. I think you've done enough for Mr. Leader for now, and I have a mission for you tonight. Merle can take it from here, I'm sure." With that, he pulled her out of the bathroom and called for Merle.

"A mission?" Hitomi asked, tripping on a towel that had been left on the floor and stumbling after Van. "Why so suddenly? I've never gone on a mission before."

"What did you want?" Merle asked Van, suddenly popping out of nowhere.

"Allen's hurt and he needs a little extra care tonight. Do you think you could stay with him? If he needs to sleep, you can lay him out on my bed. I'll sleep in the living room."

"Where am I gonna sleep then?" Merle asked noisily.

"At your apartment," Van answered, not fluttering an eyelash. "Allen doesn't need that much care, but he has a head injury and probably shouldn't be driving. If he needs anything in the night, I'm sure Chid and Miguel can take care of it, okay? Just get him some painkillers and . . . help him clean up the blood," Van said, and for a moment, he almost sounded angry.

Merle looked alarmed for a moment, and then she rushed into the bathroom.

"What do you want me to do?" Hitomi asked.

"Well, you're ready to go on your first mission. That's all. I want you to go to the Club. Dress up. Look as cute as I know you can, and I'll drive. While you're changing I'll call around and make sure that Gaddes is okay. All right?"

"You want me to see Dilandau?" she blurted. "How can _I _see him?"

"We're just going to hang out. Dilandau still hangs around the club, according to Eries. I want you to go and dance with him." He put his hands in his pants pockets and smiled. "You'll have a good time with it. Just wait and see."

"Why's that? Besides, if he sees you and me together, he'll freak. You know that don't you?"

"I'll explain more on the way. Just trust me and go get ready. You and Eries spent that whole day shopping; you should have something to wear."

She started walking to her room, but turned and said to him, "Van I don't think this is very fair. How can you guarantee I'll be safe? Why do you want to dangle a lamb in front of a wolf?"

"You're the lamb? Hardly. We just want to see the expression on his face when he sees you. It won't take long, only a few seconds, and we should be back here by your bed time, child. This is a great idea – you'll see."

"Child? Child? Who are you calling a child?" She started down the hall. "I'll be back in a few minutes, and then we can get straight to work. But, I still think this is unfair."

"I said I'd take care of you and I meant it," she heard him say right before she closed her bedroom door.

What was she going to wear? She considered putting on a pair of jeans and a tank with a shrug style cardigan, but she discarded the idea. Then she toyed with the idea of wearing a skirt. She knew it probably wasn't the most practical of outfits, but something told her that she was going to want to wear those knee-high boots. She pulled out a short black skirt. It was hot out, so she didn't want to bring a jacket. She put on some black stockings and then a white tank top with the black shrug she had been mulling over earlier. The tank top had a square neckline and showed off the pendant Van had given her nicely. This way it couldn't get caught in her clothes and for that she was grateful. If she was going to be near Dilandau it would probably start to hurt again and she didn't want to have it trapped next to her skin again. She went to her chipped mirror over her dresser. She looked completely recovered, and for some reason that made her feel much more confident. She didn't want to look weak in front of Dilandau. She quickly applied her make up, and ran a comb through her hair, adding a little product to make it look like she had done something special when she hadn't. Then she put a little clip in her hair to stop all of it from falling in her eyes.

And then there was the other thing on her mind; an evening alone with Van.

She was having a hard time sorting out her feelings toward him. Things were tricky enough becoming a member of the Abaharaki, without liking a man who spent half his time with a girl he obviously didn't love and the other half dreaming about a girl who didn't know him. Hitomi sighed aloud. Things had gotten steadily worse since she had come here, because when he didn't have Merle hanging off him, he was infinitely sweet to Hitomi. She would have been desperate if he spent more time alone with her, but he was gone a lot of the time.

She pushed her thoughts on the subject out of her mind. They weren't going to change a thing. The only thing that was changing was that she liked him more and more everyday, and her feelings were becoming more grown-up.

She picked up her sunglasses and buckled up her wrist watch. That was an important thing to have when going on a mission. Van had always told her that it was important. She didn't want him to have to remind her.

She went and pulled on her boots. That was all she had to do, so went out to the kitchen.

Van was standing beside Merle explaining, "Hitomi and I are going on a little mission, so if Allen's comfortable, you might as well just head home. You need your rest."

"I don't feel tired at all," Merle said. "Surely, I can do just as well as Hitomi. Can I go instead?"

"No. This is a job for Hitomi. If you don't want to go home then you can go downstairs and help Miguel. Hitomi has done more than her fair share of that. I'm sure she and Miguel would love you if you took a little of the work load off their shoulders." Van looked up and saw Hitomi standing in the hallway. "You're ready?" he asked her.

She nodded.

"Then we'd better go."

"Good to see you Merle. I'm sorry for being snobby before, but Allen was bleeding," she said shortly. "Have you tracked down Gaddes yet, Van?"

"We're having a little bit of a crisis actually. We can talk about it on the way, but we really have to go now. Good-bye Merle. I'll see you soon." He headed towards the front door.

Hitomi followed him. He had his black convertible sitting in the drive way. He went over and opened the door for her. She sat down. She leaned over and clicked his door open for him.

"Thanks," he said as he got into the car.

"What's happened with Gaddes?"

"It was good thinking for you to try to phone him when you found out that he hadn't come home with Allen. We got a phone call from his roommate just after you went into the bedroom. Apparently, he had a pretty nasty prank pulled on him by some of the guys he works with on the site. He was bleeding and in pretty bad shape."

"Is he okay?"

"He's worse off than Allen, but he'll be okay. I don't really want him to quit his job, but I don't think that there is much choice in the matter. We'll have to go the police and tell them what happened. If charges can be pressed then I think we should try for that. We have to make it look like he's not part of any resistance group, but things will be ugly because of what happened earlier."

"Because of the fire Gaddes set downtown?"

"Yeah. He's had so much trouble it might be time for him to retire. Did Allen tell you that we suspected the site he was working was contracted by the Dragon Slayers?"

She nodded.

"If that's the case then they might have hired Gaddes because they suspected him to be part of the resistance. There are probably people watching his apartment from across the street as we speak. That's what I would do." Van started the engine, and continued. "I couldn't have anyone go after him, even though I really wanted to. He didn't call me, thank goodness. He called Gadeth at work. Gadeth is Allen and Gaddes' other roommate. You've heard of him, right? Anyway, Gadeth was bright enough to take him to the Emergency room immediately, so it was awhile before he called me and told me what was happened."

"What did Gadeth say?"

"Not a whole lot. Gaddes was still in with the doctor, but Gadeth is taking care of it, so we don't have anything to worry about." He turned on his CD player.

Hitomi turned it down, so he could hear her, "Wait Van. What exactly are we going to do if Dilandau tries to kill me on sight?"

"He won't try to kill you," he said confidently.

"Oh, really? How do you know?"

"Did I tell you that you look stunning tonight? There is no way he'd do something to someone who looks as good as you do. Don't be too worried. I'll make sure you're safe. Are you wearing the necklace I gave you?"

"Yes."

"Good. Then if I'm not watching you every second you won't do anything crazy without feeling it. You are in control of the situation, aren't you?"

She looked at him. "What do you mean?"

He looked at her seriously. "If I tell you to do something, you'll trust me enough to do it, won't you? You won't let Dilandau convince you that he's harmless?"

"I think I've learned by lesson."

He turned his music back up and she watched him. He was wearing orange tinted glasses. He had on a white T shirt and dark blue jeans. He was handling the steering wheel tighter than usual. He looked on top of things to Hitomi, as usual, but especially when he kept his lips just a little bit tighter.

They drove together for several songs on the CD player, when he abruptly pulled the car over on some lonely residential street and pronounced, "We're here!" He shut off the engine and turned to look at her.

Hitomi looked around. Where were they? Were they really near the club? "Where are we?" she asked quietly, not able to see a street sign.

"Alone," he answered.

Hitomi sighed, thinking she could guess what he had on his mind. "If you went through all this trouble just to tell me that Allen's not a good choice for a perspective boyfriend . . . Like Eries hasn't warned me enough."

"Wow she's meddlesome. Is she still telling you how awful I am as well?" he said, opening his car door and getting out.

Hitomi followed his example, but didn't answer his question. "Are we close to the club?"

"A few blocks," he answered. "I just don't like to park my car out front, for obvious reasons . . . are you going to answer me?"

"I agree with everything she says," Hitomi said bravely. "What, are you Merle's private property?"

Van head spun around. "Huh?" he exclaimed. Then getting over his initial surprise he said calmly, "I really expected more from you. So, Hitomi what exactly is your problem with Merle?" he asked as they began walking.

"I just think she throws herself at you. Hasn't she ever heard of playing hard to get? But you're so busy probably you wouldn't notice her unless she went all out, ne?" She tried her best to keep the sting out of her voice.

"You wouldn't be jealous, would you?" He put his hands in his pockets.

She laughed still trying to sound indifferent. "No. I think it's disgraceful. That's all."

"You wouldn't stoop to chase anyone the way she chases me?"

"I chased Dilandau. Do you think that I've forgotten that? I am so ashamed of myself. I made such a fool of myself following him around. It's just that I've never been actively chased by a guy, and I think I'd enjoy the experience. So, I guess I've decided to wait for that. "

"What if I told you that Merle was actually getting somewhere with me?" he whispered.

Hitomi gasped. She couldn't believe what he had just said. Did he mean it? "Is she?" she asked, her lips tight.

"Well, you're not the first person to misinterpret my friendship with Merle," he said quietly.

"I really don't think there is anything to misinterpret. She likes you, and you don't seem to know how to tell her off in a way that will keep her from coming back. Seems pretty straightforward to me," Hitomi said, not able to make her response friendlier than that.

He shook his head slowly. "So, it really does look that way, huh?"

Hitomi was surprised by his downcast expression. "Well, what did you think? She's all over you whenever she's at the house."

"And I must seem like a coward since I don't tell her that I'm not interested?"

"Actually, I didn't think for one second that you hadn't told her that you don't like her like that. You've probably told her fifty times. You just seem to miss the part where you admit that it's not okay for her to hang onto you by your belt-loop. It seems to me like you're okay with _that _part."

"Do I?"

"You even seem to like her back a little. Don't think I don't see your hand on her back when she cuddles up to you on the couch?" Hitomi said, choking a little on her words. She really didn't like to talk to him like this, but she didn't feel like she had any other choice. It was so important to her that she understand what was really going on, so that if she was one of 'those' girls that get brutally hurt by Van, then she could get on with it. Once the blow was over, she could start to heal.

"This is much worse than I thought," he said slowly. "There are reasons why I treat her the way I do. I wouldn't normally tell this story, so please keep it quiet. You see Merle got herself into some trouble with the Dragon Slayers years ago. She made some really bad friends who helped her become a drug addict."

Hitomi gasped. "Really?"

"They were trying to get her to try prostitution in order to feed her habit, after they got her hooked. That's the way they do things. But, Merle wouldn't go for it, not for one second. Even with her problem she still had some really strong ideas about romance and she wouldn't do _that_. That's not to say that she wouldn't do other unpleasant things, because she would. I met her one night I was going to torch one of their buildings. I went to check out the house to make sure there really wasn't anyone there. It was one of their smaller drug hordes, but Merle had broken in before me, and she was taking all the coke she could. She was like a stray cat. Anyway, I talked to her and I convinced her to leave with me, leaving all those drugs behind and I would help her," Van said, looking at the pavement as though it had offended him. "But as we were coming out the window, some of the Dragon Slayers came back and they saw her. They were right in guessing that she'd come to loot the place."

"They didn't see you too?" Hitomi asked franticly.

"I was lucky. No, they didn't see me. They chased us, but we got away. She was lucky she didn't actually take anything, or I probably wouldn't have been about to protect her from the drug lords."

"She's clean now though right?"

"She has to be. She works at the police station. That's one reason she works there. One, she has to stay clean, and two, she's safe from the Dragon Slayers. As pathetic as I think our police force is, I don't think they'd let one of their own people go without a fight. So, that's the deal with her."

"So, that's why she likes you," Hitomi said, feeling that she should have guessed that the situation with Merle was something like that.

"I must have appeared as something pretty special to win her over at the house that night. I wasn't trying to use a relationship with me as a lure to bring her in. She says that's what I did. Everyone says that's what I did, and what I'm still doing to keep her in the Abaharaki, but that really wasn't my intent. Anyway, I haven't had the heart to push her away as strongly as you suggest. She seems really small and vulnerable when she's alone."

"I'll keep out of it from now on," Hitomi said seriously. "It's really none of my business anyway."

"No, Hitomi. I don't want it to look like Merle and I are a couple. That's not how it is at all. I wanted to be helpful to her, and she's come a really long way. Maybe it's time she stood on her own – just to test her legs."

"Don't let me interfere," Hitomi said icily, feeling miserable about how she had judged him so harshly.

"No. You don't understand. It didn't used to matter that Merle liked me, but now I see that it could really damage things . . ."

"With your 'other' girlfriend?" Hitomi supplied.

He didn't answer her, but changed the topic by saying, "Don't be afraid to approach Dilandau in there. I just want to see his reaction to you. And I'll be there the whole time to make sure you're safe. We'll see if he still wants you or not."

10


	15. Chapter 15

_Author's Notes: Thanks to everyone who reads and especially who reviews._

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen**

Van told Hitomi that he would go in first. He put a baseball cap to go with his yellow sunglasses to cover his face. She thought that it wasn't much of a disguise, but he must know what would work.

She waited for a few moments outside the club. She tapped her toes on the pavement, and tried her best to calm her deafening heart. What if Dilandau did something that Van didn't expect? Where would she be then? In the graveyard? She tried to make herself believe that Van would be ready for anything. He did have magic, didn't he?

She hoped that none of the Dragon Slayers recognized Van. She tried to picture what was going on right at that moment. After she had the smoke filled room in her mind, she knew that he was perfectly safe. She remembered all the times that she herself had tried to find people and had a rough time. He would be safe enough. Actually, the more she thought about it, the more relaxed she became.

Besides, Dilandau could hardly stab her in front of all those people.

When she felt like she had waited long enough, she stepped over and opened the door. She paid the admission fee and went in the club. She scanned the room for Van and didn't see him anywhere. If he had been in a fight with any of the Dragon Slayers there would have been the hugest mess, even if he lost. Especially if he lost. She looked across at the dancers on the floor. She knew he was watching her. She put her hand up to the necklace. It felt like metal. She stepped down the stairs onto the dance floor. She was certain that she would have to walk right up to Dilandau, if she was going to get his attention.

She wove herself in and out, between the dancers. The club was really crowded! She soon felt like she had looked everywhere. She was almost to the point where she thought that Eries had been mistaken, and he hadn't actually come. Then she saw him. He was standing behind some girl. He had his arms around her and was kissing the side of her neck. Hitomi shuttered. How could he be such a pig? He looked good though . . . gulp.

The girl was very beautiful. She looked incredibly young. She looked maybe fifteen at the oldest. She had short tawny hair and very pale skin. Hitomi filed it away with all the other information she filed with Miguel since she had started working for the Abaharaki. They would need to find out who she was later.

Hitomi watched them for a little while. She wanted to wait until the girl was away from Dilandau before she made her presence known. It didn't look to Hitomi like he was going to let go of her anytime in the near future, so she went up and got herself a cola out of the pop machine in the entry way. Gaddes had helped her to become quite addicted to vanilla coke. After that, she secured herself a perch by the stairs.

Dilandau and the girl really danced for a few songs in a row. Hitomi was hoping that the girl would decide that she had to go check up on her make-up, since she was trying to impress Dilandau. At least that was how Hitomi used to feel when she hung out with Dilandau at the club. Her make-up and hair had to be perfect. So, when would she go to make sure she was still in perfect condition? Hitomi laughed at herself when the girl started to fan herself with her own hand. It wouldn't be long now. Then the girl headed towards the stairs.

Hitomi dropped her coke and walked up to Dilandau. She hoped that Van hadn't gotten tired of watching her.

Dilandau had his back to Hitomi as she came up to him. She didn't know what to do, so she did the first thing that came into her mind. She covered his eyes with her hands and said into his ear in the strangest voice she could manage, "Guess who."

Dilandau put his hands up to hers, but didn't take her hands away from his eyes. "Jesse, what kind of a joke is this?"

"Guess again," she said in her undisguised voice.

Dilandau ripped her hands away from him and spun around to meet her eyes. She expected the pendant on her chest to start hurting about a million times more, but it didn't. The necklace wasn't even feeling cold.

Hitomi smiled up at him, "Surprise!"

He let go of her wrists, "What are you doing here?"

"Can't I come and ask an old friend to dance?" Just as she said it, the music got quieter and they were playing a slow song. She looked up. "Won't you dance with me?" she said when he hesitated.

He put his hands around her waist. "Where's Van, Hitomi?"

She didn't put her hands on his shoulders; she put them on his hips, and squeezed, just like he used to do. "I don't think he has anything to do with us. I was going to ask you about Jesse. Who's she?"

"No one."

"Just like I was 'no one'?"

"Bitter, aren't we?"

She glanced around over his shoulder. She saw Van leaning on the rail that separated the tables from the dancing. He had his eyes glued on Hitomi. She wondered what he wanted her to do. What should she do? She wasn't as afraid as she thought she was going to be when the time came. It was just Dilandau, and she had known him for years. She looked over his shoulder one more time and something bright caught her eye. He was wearing an ear ring. It was made of heavy silver hoop and massive (three gage at least) with a moon dangling off it. Had he always worn that? Some one had told her something about a moon-shaped ear ring. Who told her that? What was it? It was right on the tip of her mind. It was something really important, but she couldn't remember. She shook the thought off and concentrated on what she was doing. She'd figure it out later.

"Hitomi, if you just say that you'll be one of us, then no one will chase you. I really wanted you to join us. I didn't want them to do any of the things they were thinking of doing."

"Oh, do you think that they'll forgive me that easily?" she questioned sarcastically.

"Then why are you here? Didn't Van break your little heart, and now you want to get back with me?" He touched her face with his finger tips and forcing her eyes up to his in the most suggestive manner. "You can't leave me so easily, can you?" He smiled. "Has it worked out that Van stayed by your side while you were in immediate danger and then as soon as he thinks you're safe, he's off like a shot?"

"It hasn't worked out quite that way."

"How has it worked out? You liked him, but did he bother to like you back?"

She laughed. "I don't know why we're having this conversation Dilandau. It's not like you stayed loyal to me after I left. We don't owe each other anything. Except perhaps you owe me an explanation as to why I was beaten to a bloody pulp, and was going to have arrows and knives thrown at me." She raised one eye brow at him, and tried her damnedest to stay cool.

"That wasn't really going to happen. The boys just needed a show, and I was going to give you another chance to join us before they started firing. Then if you turned me down, I'd let them fire a few shots, but the guys who were going to shoot are excellent marksmen, and I told them not to hurt you. You weren't in any danger at all. I just wanted you to join my club."

"You make it sound like such an innocent thing. I assure you that it was no such thing, and that because of it - I am not who I used to be."

"You were always _my_ girl though, weren't you?" he said softly.

She hated how he could turn on the charm like that, and use her. She wouldn't let that happen this time. It was beyond time for her to take a stand.

"I thought I saw you with a new girl. Her name's Jesse? Well, I hope you two are very happy together."

"Don't get the wrong idea, Hitomi. There's always room for more," he said, pulling her close so that their chests touched and there was no space between them.

"Aren't you afraid she'll see us? Wasn't she going to come right back?" Hitomi asked, wondering why she felt so relaxed. _Man alive!_ Did she still like him after all?

"It's okay," he said smoothly. "She's not the jealous type."

"Oh really?" Hitomi said, looking up at Dilandau's handsome face. He looked smug, and she hated that. He was always so conceited and self-satisfied, and just at that moment she remembered how much Millerna had always loathed him. Then it was easy for Hitomi to get her bearings, remember that Van was watching her, and that she was toying with something very dangerous allowing a murderer to hold her in his arms.

"So, why do you want me to become a Dragon Slayer so much?"

"Don't you know?" he whispered into her ear seductively.

Hitomi pushed in away enough so that she could look into his eyes, his hands still gripped her tightly to him. "Why do you want me so much? If I left you alone, wouldn't you leave me alone?"

"It's too late for that Hitomi," he said, shaking his head in mock sorrow.

"Because, of Millerna?"

"Partly," he said indifferently. "I just really want you for myself."

"Why?"

Dilandau looked at her quizzically. "Hitomi, you really don't understand what's going on here, do you? Is it really possible that Van hasn't explained anything to you? I set myself up as his rival, and I'm going to kill him."

Hitomi gasped.

"Well, what did you think you silly girl? I'm a Dragon Slayer, and I'm going to slay The Dragon. Isn't that what the hero is supposed to do?"

Hitomi eyes were wide. She couldn't believe what Dilandau had just said. Kill Van? No! How dare he? She was so livid she was trembling. Van had told her that was how Dilandau felt, but somehow she hadn't believed him.

The song faded down into nothing, and was replaced by the booming trance the club usually played.

"Just one more thing Dilandau," she said, looking into his eyes with meaning. She gripped his hair with her hand and pulled his face close to hers with force. "If any you lay even one hand on Van, I'll make it my personal mission to make your life hell. Understand?" She threw his head away from her. "I'm shoving off now," she said removing his hands from her waist.

He glared down at her, "What if you're dead?"

She smiled slowly and gave him a slanted look. "All the better."

She didn't look to see his reaction, but turned and walked towards the door. She knew that one of Dilandau's thugs could be following her, and she prayed that Van was watching. She needed him to watch out for her.

She got to the door way, when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned. She didn't know who she thought that it would be, but she hoped it was Van, telling her that they were in the clear.

It was the girl named Jesse she had seen with Dilandau. "Who are you?" she demanded.

"I think you have the wrong person," Hitomi said as she tried to side step her.

"No really, I have to know who you are," her tone softened a little bit.

Hitomi considered talking to her, but what would she say?

"I saw you with Dilandau," the girl said finally.

"So? What do you care?"

"Who are you? Why were you dancing with him like that?"

"Why?"

"…Listen … Jesse . . ."

She sighed and interrupted Hitomi, "Why does every one know who I am and Dilandau never tells me who anyone is? Who are you and why are you so close to him?"

Hitomi continued to look at her, weighing her options. It didn't seem right to just leave without offering some kind of warning to a girl who looked as innocent as Hitomi used to be. She couldn't just leave.

"You're not Dilandau's friend are you?"

"Not really. Look Jesse . . ."

"Why is Dilandau your enemy? He's everyone's enemy!"

Hitomi couldn't stand the way this conversation was going. She couldn't hear a thing, so she grabbed Jesse by the arm and hauled her into the girl's washroom.

The room was kind of grungy. Hitomi quickly scanned the room and looked under the stalls, in order to see if there was anyone in there. It occurred to her almost right away that some one could be pulling the old trick of standing on the toilet so; she pushed all the doors open. There didn't seem to be anyone in the bathroom.

Then Hitomi stood in front of the wide bathroom mirrors with Jesse standing beside her. Once in the florescent lights, Hitomi was shocked to see how much Jesse looked like her. Her hair was a little longer, but other than that, the similarity was unmistakeable.

"Are your eyes really green?" Hitomi blurted.

"No," Jesse said quietly, grinding her teeth together. Then she was immediately on the offensive, "Are yours?"

"Naturally," Hitomi said, trying not to sound condescending. "Listen up. Get away from Dilandau as quickly as possible. Walk out of this club, and disappear completely. If you have any understanding of what is right, and want to follow that, than get yourself out of his company. Go visit a friend in another city. Get yourself away from him for good. Right now!"

"Who are you to talk?" The girl stuttered with her eyes wide with freight. "You were with him tonight. It can't be that dangerous if you wouldn't be too afraid to come back. Besides, you didn't explain anything. Why is he your enemy and why were you dancing so close with him?"

Hitomi hesitated. "I can't tell you why I'm not friends with him. If I told you what he's done to me and my friends, he'd be after you too. I'd rather not have to worry about you. And as for why I was dancing so closely with him. Well, I couldn't risk our conversation being heard by anyone. That's all," Hitomi said, taking a moment to examine the girl's face. She wasn't doing a very good job convincing her. "No one warned me about him, and I knew him for years before anything serious happened, ya know, before anything dangerous happened. I just wanted to give you a heads up. I don't expect you to understand, but understand this. You will be dead if you hang around him much longer. See ya." With that Hitomi walked out of the ladies room and didn't look behind her.

She headed again for the exit and didn't give a rat's ass what that girl told Dilandau. She saw Eries at the cash register. She was running a customer's bill through. For a split second Hitomi was tempted to go talk to her. Luckily, she realized that this would be a serious mistake, and steered herself out the doors.

No one jumped out of the darkness and gagged her.

Hitomi stood outside the club for a minute or two, when she decided that she should just start walking. That would give Van a chance to see who was following her. Then he could handle the situation, and she could trust him. She decided to go towards the car since the car was fairly far away from the club.

She began walking, but her stride was making her nervous. She looked behind her a time or two. She wanted to see if she could notice any of the people following her, but she couldn't see anything. This aggravated her considerably, because she somehow thought in the back of her mind that since she joined the Abaharaki these things should just come to her naturally. Though she could think of no logical reason why she should suddenly become street smart, the fact that she wasn't was driving her crazy.

But just when she thought it was hopeless for her to even try to notice whether or not she was actually being followed, she suddenly got a feeling. It was an unmistakable feeling – she _was_ being followed.

Hitomi had walked about three blocks. She was starting to get really uneasy. Why hadn't Van done anything? Had something happened to him back at the club? She really hoped nothing had happened. If anything happened to him … she'd get Dilandau … oh, she'd fix his wagon! But Van _had_ to be okay. He was a big boy, completely accustomed to his dangerous lifestyle. He could see through any scheme and work his way out of any serious situation that he happened to come upon. He was fine.

Suddenly, she stopped and put her hand up to her chest. The necklace didn't even feel cold, even though she did – it was getting late. Maybe she should go back to the club and find Van. Folding her bare arms across her stomach, she turned to look behind her. Was there really anyone there?

Van was walking calmly behind her. Sans the baseball cap, his hair was falling in strands into his eyes and he looked as mellow as a watermelon. He had been the one following her?

"What happened?" she asked, approaching him, and feeling greatly relieved that he was all right.

He slipped his arm around her. "Are you cold? You should have brought a coat. Silly girl," he pulled off his leather jacket and put it around her.

Hitomi smiled. Far be it for her to complain if he wanted to lend her his coat. "Thank you," she said, slipping it on. It smelled really good. "Was there anyone following me?"

"Hai. Two guys. I snagged one just outside the club. It took me a block to figure out that there was another one, but I got him. He's lying unconscious behind that shrub back there. He'll be fine. The Dragon Slayers are not going to bother charging me with assault, so don't look at me that way."

"I wasn't looking at you funny. What did you do to them?"

"Oh, nothing much. Don't worry. I would never do something I'd be ashamed of."

"Oh," she said, touching her hair. "Were you satisfied with how Dilandau behaved?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I have changed my mind. I don't think he's in love with you. As striking as you are, I just don't think that's the reason. You said something right before you walked away and he looked seriously afraid. I have been watching Dilandau a long time and I have never seen him look like that."

Hitomi looked around her. It was so dark on that street. "Are you sure that we're not being followed now?"

"Relatively. Why? Are you having a hard time shaking the feeling that someone is still after us?"

"I have a weird crept out feeling, but I don't know if it is anything real. You're laughing at me aren't you?"

"No," he said seriously. "I never laugh at a woman's intuition. My aunt's has saved me any number of times. I'll have another look around. Just wait there for me here. I won't be long."

Van didn't make a big show of leaving her. He just walked a few paces away from her and looked around him. Then his eyes shot upward. Hitomi looked in the direction his head jolted and she couldn't see what was causing him alarm. He ran across the street so fast that Hitomi hardly saw what he did. Then he leapt up to onto the roof of the single storey building. There was someone on the roof! It looked like he had a gun, but he no match for Van. The struggle didn't last long. It couldn't. Van got the shot gun out of the man's hand and hit him over the head with it. When Van was looked satisfied with his work, he let himself down from the roof. He walked across the street without the slightest line of tension across his face.

"Thank-you Hitomi," he said gently.

"What was he doing there? Was he there to shoot you?" she said, shivering, still thinking of Dilandau's threat.

Van shrugged, and he continued to walk down the sidewalk. "I don't think he was there for me. Dilandua didn't know I was with you tonight. Besides, if he saw me anywhere, I don't think that he would bother with secrecy. I don't mean to frighten you Hitomi, but I think that sniper was for you. Dilandau is really afraid of you."

"He's still worried that I would tell the police?"

Van shrugged his shoulders. "I don't think that's all there is to it. What did you say to him before you left?"

Hitomi didn't want to tell Van what she said, because it concerned him. If she told him, would he guess her feelings for him? She hesitated.

"Is it really something that you can't tell me?" he asked slowly, starting them walking again towards his car.

"Not exactly …" Hitomi said, trying to think of a good way to smooth over what she'd said, so that she could tell him the gist of it without mentioning how it involved him. " . . . I threatened him …" she said slowly.

"Well, what did the two of you talk about?" Van said quietly, seeming for a moment like something was bothering him. "You looked pretty cuddly. You're not regretting your choice to come with us and be a member of the Abaharaki, are you?"

"Don't get the wrong idea, Van. That girl who was with Dilandau asked me the same thing. It's nothing. I just didn't want anyone to hear our conversation." Hitomi moved to change the conversation, "But, did you see that girl who was with him?"

"Yeah. She looked exactly like you."

"That's what I thought. Must be his taste in women," Hitomi said, trying to lighten the mood of the conversation.

She didn't like how moody Van had suddenly become. He was acting like something was really rubbing him the wrong way. She was about to try to cheer him up by asking him if he had a rock in his shoe when he suddenly he stopped walking, and grasped Hitomi's shoulders to turn her towards him.

"I'm sorry to keep bothering you about this," he said, looking into her eyes very deeply. His expression was so desperate it seemed like he was drowning. "But you've lived with me for weeks. Do you really have no memory of me? I've done everything I can think of to try to help you remember. Do you . . .?"

"Just tell me Van!" Hitomi blurted. "You seem like you're in pain, and you keep on asking me this. Where have we met before? It feels like I'm hurting you by not remembering, but I just don't remember anything. Just tell me!"

He held her eyes with his for one breathless moment, and then he dropped his hands from her frame and touched his forehead. Then he turned away looking more tortured than she'd ever seen anyone look before.

"I can't."

He was looking at the moon.

7


	16. Chapter 16

_Author's Notes: I got a few more reviews than usual for the last chapter. Thanks for that. Thanks to everyone who reads and reviews. Please check out my novel for sale 'The Blood that Flows' by Stephanie Van Orman on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and anywhere you buy books. Loads of Love.  
_

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen**

Hitomi sat up in her bedroom that night trying to remember if she had met Van somewhere before, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't think of anything. What was he talking about? And why did it bother him so much that she couldn't remember, and why was he being so secretive about it? Why couldn't he just tell her?

Hitomi tossed in her bed sheets until she was dizzy, then she got up and went to the single window in the attic to look up at the sky. It was nice to be out of bed, until she saw the moon hanging in the sky . . . the ultimate symbol that Van would never be hers. How cruel! She went back to her bed and lay down, but nothing made her feel better. All she wanted to do was think about him and how they would be together.

When she finally gave up obsessing about Van (because that was all it was) she caught herself thinking about Dilandau. Millerna told her that the girl she saw getting beat up by Dilandau looked like her, and that was why Millerna tried to stop them. And now this new girl – Jesse – looked like her as well. Well, maybe she, Hitomi, looked like someone else as well. That was a definite possibility. Dilandau just wanted someone with light brown hair, cut short with green eyes. But why? And who was the original?

And why was Dilandau afraid of her? What did he think _she_ could do?

Finally, Hitomi pulled her blankets over her legs and hugged them. She touched the chain around her neck. The pendant was cold like metal. She remembered how painful the thing had been. She had a bad case of frost bite on her chest after that. When she showed Van he just about broke down in tears. It was so puffed up and white. Van had wanted to take her to the doctor for it; he thought she was in such bad shape. He didn't though, because everyone reminded him how impossible that would be when the police were still looking for her. She thought that he might apologize for giving her the pendant since it hurt her, or ask for it back, but he did neither. Hitomi didn't understand it.

Urgh! Why had she threatened Dilandau? There was nothing she could do to him. Or was there? She bet Van could think of some way for her to make good on her threat. Just as long as he didn't know who she was fighting for.

She jumped out of bed and down to Van's room. She tapped lightly on the door. There wasn't an answer. She thought that he wouldn't have anyone in there with him. He didn't usually talk to Miguel or Chid late at night, so Hitomi felt safe and clicked the door open. She was right; he was the only lump in the bed spread. She breathed deeply in relief. At least Merle hadn't been able to coax her way into his bed.

Closing the door behind her she crept up to him. The sheets were pushed down to his waist and he was wearing a sleeveless white undershirt. She sat on the bed and shook his bear shoulders gently until he woke up, hoping desperately that he wouldn't turn around. She didn't want to see his back ... that was where his crescent moon tattoo was.

"I need your help," she said to him.

He rolled over quickly and looked at the clock. "What is it?" He was ever mindful of what time of the day it was.

She reflected on how much she liked that about him as she told him, "Is there anyway that I could get back at Dilandau for everything he's done?"

" . . . At three thirty in the morning?" he said, sitting up the rest of the way in bed and messing up his hair even more with his left hand.

"You wake me up at unreasonable times just to talk," she reminded him.

"Fine. What kind of thing did you have in mind? Going to the police, or . . ."

"No, nothing like that. I just want to be able to tell him to back off because blank blank blank and have him take me seriously and leave me alone. I just want you to help me fill in the blank."

"And it's something you want to be able to do yourself, without any help from me?"

She nodded.

"Well, that's pretty easy. You could do almost anything."

"No, I couldn't. I don't know how to do anything. You jumped onto the roof of a building tonight!"

"That's only because the wind was good tonight and I was able to use the air to help lift me," he said, as though it was nothing.

Hitomi hesitated. He was able to do that? That explained the amazing jump he executed at the stadium that night he saved her. She was really impressed. "Wow, Van, you're amazing."

"Don't go that far. It's really just something I inherited and has relatively little to do with the kind of person I really am. You know, like a person's looks – they have absolutely nothing to do with what a person is like on the inside."

"I suppose," Hitomi said, thinking about how she looked like those two other girls. "You never talk about your gift much."

"I can't help it. The subject bores the hell out of me. That's all anyone wants to talk about. That and the girl I got my moon tattoo over."

"Sorry, I know it's boring, but I wanted to ask you how it was going with her? Have you made any progress?"

"I dunno," he said, falling back on his pillows in frustration and tilting his head to look at the ceiling.

_Oh! He had it bad!_ Hitomi couldn't talk about _that_ with him.

"I've never pressed you much," she started saying. "But could you talk about your gift with me a little?" she asked, forgetting all about why she had come to see Van in the first place.

He nodded wearily. "If it pleases you, I'm sure I could tolerate it for a few minutes, but only a few," he said mildly.

Hitomi thought and thought. There were so many questions. "Could you do anything long range? Like could you set fire to a building on the other side of town?"

"Yes," he said.

"Then why don't you do that instead of going there personally, and sending people on missions to do such things?" she asked indignantly.

"Think with your whole head Hitomi. Sure I could set fire to a building across town, but I wouldn't be able to guarantee anyone's safety. That's why we send people. We have to make sure that the buildings are empty, and that we're not hurting anyone. Are we clear?"

"I see," she said, thankful for his explanation.

"Besides, sometimes I can't control how hot something is going to get, or how big a fireball is going to be. Don't think I'm too incompetent, but I'm really afraid of hurting someone by doing something reckless with my abilities. I'm not exactly 'the master' yet, and I don't have many chances for improving myself. My specialties are with fire and air, and I'm able to practice with air as much as I like, but fire … that's obviously a different story. So far, I can only control how much something is going to hurt me. That fire ball I formed in the stadium that night hurt me when I created it, but I was in control of how much. Make sense?"

She nodded to herself.

He looked at her seriously, "You don't think you can anything on your own?"

"No."

"I don't want you to get your hands dirty by doing anything violent, but I think you can do a lot to make Dilandau unhappy if that's all you're thinking about. "

Hitomi hesitated in answering. Seeing Van now in the half-light of his room was making her funny. She wanted to get closer to him. "What's going on with you?" she said. She wanted to get closer, even if it was just talking, just learning all about him. "You never talk about yourself, only about our next job or about some new development."

"I thought I told you a lot about myself," he feigned.

"I don't think so. You've told me what I needed to know about you in order to belong to the Abaharaki; like you told me about your uncle Balgus. Tell me something about you. Please." She rested her arms on her knee, which she had drawn up to her chest, and tried to persuade him with the look in her eyes.

He gave her a curious expression. "I don't think I quite understand what exactly you want me to tell you."

"What's the first thing you remember as a child? I'd be interested in hearing that story."

He sighed, then said bitterly, "My history is really nothing but tragedy, and it keeps getting worse every day."

"Please tell me. I really want to know about you."

"I guess I remember my parents. My mother was really beautiful," he rested his head back on his pillows. "She and my father were so fun. They seemed to love everyone and know everyone. I lost them both when I was very young."

"That's horrible Van. I had no idea …" she started saying.

"Don't worry about it. You said you wanted to know about me. Well, this is me. This is my history, and what I have to look back on. Have you changed your mind?" he asked, almost seeming to challenge her.

"No …"

He continued, "I remember a car ride. We were driving over to my aunt and uncle's. I remember the beat-up car that they drove. It was an ugly beast, but whenever I see a car that is kind of like it, I can't help but remember my parents. That was the last time I saw them. My mother hugged me on the doorstep and she kissed my cheek. I felt her wet cheek against mine. She was crying. They were going to get my brother," Van said, suddenly clearing his throat and changing his tone. "I don't know who was in charge of the Dragon Slayers, or what they were called back then. From what I understand, they change leaders fairly often. Dilandau has only taken charge of things in the last year. He's lasted longer than most. I wonder how he gets away with it."

Van changed the subject so quickly. Before that he looked like he might cry. Van was not the type of man to cry so he talked about something that wouldn't make him cry in a million years.

"Dilandau's leadership is a bit of a mystery," Van continued. "No one really has any idea how he keeps power."

"I don't want to hear about Dilandau, Van. I really don't. You. Tell me more about you," she stated softly.

"I think I've shared enough. Besides, I'm getting too emotional. I'm really not as messed up about my parents as I seem. I used to be much worse than I am now. It's just the way you're looking at me. You look at me like you understand what it was like, or like you want to comfort the little boy who was abandoned. It's cutting me open afresh."

"Sorry," Hitomi said, sad that she had hurt him, but happy that he had noticed how she was looking at him. You look at someone you love differently.

"I don't know a thing about you, now do I? Why don't you tell me something," he laughed, attempting to shrug off his problems.

"I suppose that's fair." She was silent as she considered what she should tell him. She realized quickly that most of her past became unpleasant to talk about because she had memories with her family and her best friend. She didn't want to make herself unhappy, so she decided to tell Van just about her. "My favourite colour is grey. I love it. You were in my room, and you saw how I absolutely basked in it. Wasn't it cool?"

"Grey? That sounds very bleak. Mine is black, but green is close second."

"That sounds morbid."

He smiled to himself. "You'd be morbid too." He had the saddest expression on his face and Hitomi didn't feel like she could allow that.

"I like fruit. Strawberries and lemons are my favourite," she said brightly. "I know that isn't too important, but I really like. . ."

Van interrupted her, "Hitomi, why are we talking about this? There is a lot of work to be done and a lot of necessary sleep to be gotten."

"I see. Never mind," she muttered while she got up. "Have a good night Van." She was suddenly hurt and almost at the door.

"Don't go like that," he called to her. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Come back here … Please."

Hitomi slowly approached his bed, but she didn't sit down on it.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to sound like I don't care what you like. It's just that I have to get up early to meet Merle."

She raised her eyebrows. "You're going to meet Merle?"

"You don't think that that's a good reason for me to tell you to go to bed? I need sleep too."

She shook her head in mild defiance.

"What if I gave you an order?"

She stamped her foot softly. "You can do that?"

He laughed. "You are so cute."

She scrunched her nose up, and laughed a little. "Well, if that was an order I had better jump all over that one and go straight back to bed." Smiling, she saluted him and turned sharply to go back to her room.

"No, stay," he said to her.

Hitomi turned at the door and looked at him, thinking she knew what he was implying. "Stay? With you?"

" . . . With me."

"What about your mystery girl?"

"We wouldn't misbehave. You could just whisper your favourite things into my ears until I fell asleep. Then I might actually feel the sort of peace you seem to feel."

Hitomi shook her head. "I don't think that would be such a good idea."

"Why not?"

Hitomi put a finger to her lips and smiled, letting a mischievous light enter her eyes. "You think I could cheat on Miguel and Chid so easily? I couldn't break their hearts. Good night," she said as she left the room.

She could hear Van laughing as she closed the door behind her. She tip toed down the hall, hoping that she wouldn't bother anyone more than their laughing already had. She closed the door to her bedroom with the lowest creak she could manage, and plopped down on her bed without any ceremony.

Why had Van asked her to stay? It was almost like he was trying to torture her. He must know she liked him.

She laid back down into her pillows and considered exactly how comfortable she was. She could feel each muscle in her body uncoiling. She had been so tense at the club. She was safe now. She slid off her bed spread and kneeled on the floor, saying a little prayer of thanks that both she and Van had arrived home safely.

When she got back into bed, and thought about Van inescapably. She bet he would be able to follow through if he threatened Dilandau. What gave him his power? Where did it come from? Van said it was magic. To Hitomi that sounded like spells, but Van hadn't specified. Why was the only one who had the ability Van? If someone was taught the spells wouldn't they be able to do it too? If that were true then Hitomi would be able to cast the spell in Dilandau's bedroom just as well as Van. She didn't want to set fire to it, but Van said that the ability was elemental magic, so a person should be able to do something different than fire, something less destructive – like ice. That would make the room just cold enough so that Dilandau wouldn't be able to sleep. That would be the perfect revenge. Nobody would get seriously hurt, and nothing would burn down – perfect.

She considered this lazily as she drifted off to sleep.

Suddenly, Hitomi found herself standing in a hallway, a hallway she didn't recognize. Where was she? She wanted to look around her, but instead found herself propelled forward. She couldn't stop herself, even though she was moving very slowly. There was only one door at the end of the hall. She looked at it for a moment, and in that moment she found herself behind that door and in the room that it opened into. It was a bedroom. The first thing Hitomi saw was Dilandau on the bed. It looked to Hitomi that he was naked, except for a blanket that covered a section from his abdomen to his thigh. He was smoking something or other, and leaning back as if he owned the world. Then Hitomi saw a girl. It wasn't the same girl from the club, Jesse. It was someone else. She had short wavy blonde hair. Was she another one of their look a-likes? Hitomi only saw her back, as she was fastening her bra. Dilandau and the girl were saying things, but Hitomi couldn't hear what they were saying. They hadn't seemed to notice that she was there at all.

That's when Hitomi realized that she wasn't really there, it was only a dream. Dream or not, this seemed very realistic. She found herself closer to the bed and looking down at Dilandau. This was no ordinary dream.

The girl finished dressing and crawled across the bed and kissed Dilandau. Hitomi understood their conversation now that she was closer. The girl was apologizing for leaving so early, and reminding him that he didn't like her sleeping in the same bed as him. He laughed a little and suddenly became violent. He grabbed her throat and slammed her head against the wall behind the bed. He was on top of her in a second. The girl was screaming.

"I don't know why you want to go early, but you don't fuck anyone but me! Understand?" he bellowed into her ear.

"Of course Dil," she panted frantically. "Please don't hurt me. Please." She was crying harder than before, and she had blood running down her forehead. He must have scratched her somehow when he grabbed her.

Hitomi desperately wanted to help her, but she knew that she couldn't. It was just a dream she told herself, and she tried to wake herself up, but she couldn't. She shook her head, but she wouldn't wake up.

He was whispering in the girl's ear now, and Hitomi couldn't hear what he was saying. The girl had calmed down considerably, but she was still kind of whimpering to herself. Hitomi exhaled, thinking that perhaps he wasn't going to hurt her anymore.

"And just so you who ever the hell you were going to go to after me knows who you were with," he snarled. He grabbed the front of her shirt and tore it down the front.

The girl looked up and squinted. That girl knew much better than Hitomi what Dilandau was going to do.

Dilandau picked up a switchblade from the table beside the bed, and snapped it open. Hitomi couldn't look away and was forced to watch as he carved his initials into her chest – D. A. The girl bit her lip to stop herself from screaming. Hitomi flinched as blood ran down her chest.

Then Dilandau was finished.

"Now get up. I don't want blood on my fuckin' sheets. You had better be back here tomorrow at three forty-five exactly. Don't be late darling." He blew her an ironic kiss as she stumbled to the door.

She turned suddenly at hearing the time. "But I used to come at two!"

"That's right. Used to. You might again after that heals, but remember this. You never leave early. You leave when I tell you to get your skinny ass out of my sight. Now," his voice became softer. "Would you care to stay longer?"

She took the remains of her shirt off completely and put them over her wound to blot up the blood. She looked up at him and gave him a quirky expression. "I would love to." To Hitomi's horror the girl began undoing her pants. What was the fool girl about?

"Good. Glad to see you're willing to be so cooperative. Now, get your skinny ass out of my sight!" he yelled at her.

Without any sort of expression the girl turned on her heel and went out the door.

As the girl left Hitomi realised that undoing her pants was an action that was going to save her. She told Dilandau exactly what he wanted to hear, but that wasn't enough, and the girl knew that. She knew that Dilandau only wanted her for one thing. If she seemed at any moment that she didn't want him, he would hurt her. Hitomi felt considerably depressed by this. He probably had other girls who came at different parts of the night as well, and she was just one of them. He didn't care about them any more than the next. At least that's what it seemed like to Hitomi.

Dilandau pulled on a pair of pants that was handy. He sat down, put his feet on the floor and his face in his hands. He almost looked like he was sorry for what he had done. He got up and went towards a little table that hugged the wall. There were liquor bottles and glasses on it. He unscrewed a tall bottle and picked up a glass. He was about to pour himself a glass when he changed his mind about the cup and took a drink straight from the bottle.

Just then there was a tap on the door. Dilandau shouted for them to come in. It was another girl, except this one looked a little bit older. Maybe twenty instead of eighteen. She was wearing short shorts and a halter top. Dilandau took one look at her, and turned around threw the bottle he had been drinking from at her. She screamed and ran from the room.

Apparently he was really pissed off by what had just happened.

He picked up another bottle and turned off the light. He got into bed and took a drink before he put it on the bedside table. He was trying to go to sleep now.

Hitomi had the impression that it was early for him. She suddenly wished she could make it cold in his room like she'd thought would be a good punishment for him before she went to sleep. How could he do such cruel things?

Just then Dilandau pulled a blanket over him. Then he got up and put a shirt on. Then he went out into the hall and looked at the thermostat. He turned it up and went back to bed.

She smiled to herself. Perhaps she had been right that just anyone could work the elemental magic and not just Van. If she wanted it hard enough – that was all that was necessary.

But there was something else she needed to see. She turned around and saw the most amazing thing. Van was standing beside her holding her hand.

Then she woke up in her bed room.

He had done it! He had been the one to make Dilandau's room cold. It hadn't been her at all. She was wrong. So, why had she had the dream at all?

The sun was shining outside her window. What time was it anyway? She looked at her watch that she had set on the floor. It was almost noon. Why had they let her sleep so long? She got up and started pulling on her clothes.

7


	17. Chapter 17

_Author's Notes: Happy Valentine's Day! Thanks to everyone who reads and reviews. And I am going to place another plug for my book in here. Please go buy 'The Blood that Flows' by Stephanie Van Orman (that's me) on Amazon. And no - the Van isn't because I love Van Fanel that much. Sorry to disappoint. I'm not that much of a hardcore fan.  
_

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen**

Hitomi went out into the kitchen, but she didn't see anyone. Sometimes Miguel was up hunting for food at about this time. He and Chid must be down stairs working like animals, like always.

She bounded down the stairs, and found Miguel alone at the computers. He was working with more fervour than usual. "What happened?"

Miguel swivelled on his chair and said, "Good morning. We started investigating what happened with Gaddes at the construction site, but . . . that wasn't the most interesting thing that went on this morning. I was going through the usual sites when I got up. Guess who's suddenly got an amazing price on their head?"

"Van?" Hitomi asked miserably.

He turned back to his computer. "That's an uninteresting guess Hitomi, and that's not it. Van has had a price on his head for years. Don't forget, the whole purpose of the Dragon Slayers is to take him down. That's not it. Generally, no one is worth more than fifty thousand dollars. But this morning someone is worth a hundred thousand. Guess who?"

Hitomi couldn't think. "Is it Allen? Did those guys at the construction site recognize him after all?"

Miguel smiled and said, "Once again, uninteresting guess, Allen is obviously a wanted man as well. As long as I've been looking at this freakin' thing, I have never seen someone worth more than seventy thousand. I've always thought that was because anyone who was worth more than that would be contracted out, not just posted on the net."

"Where on the net would you find a site like that posted an actual hit list, Miguel?" she asked cautiously, wondering where he had been hanging out.

He shrugged. "You just have to know where to look."

"Than whose was it?"

He turned in his chair and looked at her seriously. "It was yours," he said deeply. "It's not a very pretty advertisement either. Dilandau put the bounty on your head. He wants your body brought to him after you're killed. He must have been really pissed after you left him at the club last night."

"I'm worth a hundred thousand dollars dead," she said quietly, lowering herself into a swivel chair.

"Actually Hitomi, your name has been on the chart since you came to us. You weren't wanted dead though. You were supposed to be brought to Dilandau alive, and you weren't worth much," Miguel said in a matter-of-fact voice, like this sort of thing happened all the time.

"So, what was I worth then?"

"Seven thousand. I have no idea why it jumped so. Van seemed to have the feeling like it would when he talked to me last night. I wouldn't have bothered checking at it first if he hadn't said anything. What happened last night anyway?"

"I had two men tracking me when I left the club last night, and there was also a man on the roof of a building with a gun. Van took care of all three of them, but do you think that the price might have jumped last night before I went to the club?"

"I don't think that's very likely," Miguel said as he crossed his arms across his chest. "I know that Dilandau has guys who go to the club with him and hang around in front and in back until he's finished. When Dilandau is at the club he is at his most vulnerable, so he has to take a lot of protection with him. He probably just told a few of his guys to go follow you just to see if you would lead them to Van. I don't think you were supposed to be killed last night. The man on the roof was more then likely sent to take care of any guy who was with you just in case it really was Van – now that they know his face. No, something happened last night that made Dilandau think of you as a very immediate threat. Do you have any idea what it could have been?"

"I think it was cold in his bed room last night," Hitomi said with a little half smile. That hadn't turned out as she imagined, and she was still waking up from her dream, so all of it was still fresh. "I have to talk to Van. Do you have any idea when he'll be back?"

"He's been out since early this morning. He had to take care of something with Merle."

"So, he doesn't know about this?"

Miguel gave her a sideways glance and turned back to his computer screen. "No, he doesn't know about this."

"Shouldn't we call him or try to get in touch with him somehow?"

"There's no rush. He said that he wouldn't be back until tonight. Even with a fabulous sum on your head like that, there's not much we need to do. We just need to keep you out of sight. It's sorta too bad that you won't be allowed outside for awhile, since you've been cooped up with me for so many weeks, but everyone will be looking for you again. Sorry about that. Oh well, you can help Chid and I. We have more work piled up than we can handle."

"Miguel, how can you be so calm about this? Aren't you worried about me at all?"

Miguel seemed to be biting his cheek. "Hitomi, I'm not sure how to explain this to you. But, to be totally honest I don't know why Van asked you to be a part of the Abaharaki in the first place. It turned out that you can work the computers well enough to hold your own, but Van didn't know that you could do that when you joined. Van risked everything to get you back that one night, but none of us knows why he did that. We have had to abandon members, because it was simply too risky for Van or any of the rest of us to go to save them. When we found out that you'd been kidnapped, Van went right away. He wouldn't let anyone come with him. None of us wanted him to go. In fact, all of us begged him not to go. Merle was crying. He asked us not to ask questions, and off he went. Plus, since you've got here, he refuses to answer any questions about you and it's really starting to piss me off. I haven't asked you any questions before, because it just didn't seem right to harass you, but now that this thing with Dilandau has happened, I think it's time for you to speak up. By the way, I'm not the only one who feels this way," he said gravely. "So I'd appreciate it if you could answer some of my questions."

"What do you want to know?" Hitomi asked, totally taken aback by what Miguel was saying. Hadn't Van told them that he thought Dilandau was in love with her, and that that could be his downfall? But now that Van didn't think that was true, what was her real purpose for being a member of the Abaharaki? She was just a dumb teenager, who couldn't do anything to stop Dilandau.

Miguel scoffed (less than politely), "Like why Van endangered our entire purpose for you the night he rescued you from the Dragon Slayers. If anything had happened to Van, we might not have been able to keep going."

"Why wouldn't you be able to do things without Van? I mean, I know he has all kinds of magic, but wouldn't you be able to do a lot without him?"

"You don't know anything, do you? He is our protector for most missions. I know a lot of people who wouldn't dare to go on the sorts of missions we line up without reassurance that Van will get them back alive."

Fine one Miguel was to talk! Hitomi hadn't heard of him going on a single mission the whole time she'd been living there. He just worked the computers. She was about to tell him off when she decided that arguing with him that way probably wouldn't be the best of plans. So, she started off differently.

"Wait. Wait. Wait," Hitomi said, in response to his hostile attitude. "Before you throw me out the window, there is something that I just don't understand, and you have to explain it to me. "Why have you been so nice to me if you've got all this pent up frustration towards me?"

Miguel looked uncomfortable, and looked away.

"Well, come on," Hitomi urged.

"I just didn't want to bug you when you had just had all those terrible things happen to you. And at first I thought the reason he went through all that trouble was because you were the famous girl he got his moon tattoo for."

For some odd reason, this statement surprised her more than anything else he'd said. "And now you're sure that I'm not?"

Miguel managed a smile. "No. I don't know Van well enough to know the first thing about _that_, but I am sure that there is another reason besides any feelings he might have for you. Another thing that was weird was that usually a person who has had the experiences you've had and lived would be taken out to Van's aunt in order for them to get straightened out and to figure out how they want to get on with their life. It was very strange for Van to bring you here so soon after your experience, and to keep you so close to him that you live in the attic. I'm sure that he is keeping the true reason for your being here away from us."

Hitomi's cheeks were on fire, but she had to continue the conversation. "He said that the attic was for people you were hiding."

"_Guys_ Hitomi. Where we hide _guys_ that need to be hidden. _Guys_. Do you see the distinction?"

"Is it such a big deal that I'm a girl?"

He shook his head in exasperation. "Don't think for one moment that I'm being sexist. I just wanted Van to trust us all enough to let us know the true reason for your importance. Van has to have a reason. He always has a reason, and I'm getting impatient to hear it."

"I see," Hitomi said. She decided that she might as well tell Miguel what Van had originally thought. It hadn't turned out to be true anyway. She hadn't realised he was keeping it a secret from Miguel. "Van thought that Dilandau was in love with me, so I might be a sore spot that you could work on if I was a member."

"That's bullshit!" he exclaimed. "Is that what he told you? Dilandau only wants one woman like that, and it ain't you."

"How do you know so much about him?" Hitomi snapped. "Dilandau keeps all kinds of girls around him, and he seems to screw around with all of them."

"You're so naïve Hitomi. It's unbelievable. It doesn't matter how many girls he keeps on the wire. Didn't he keep you for years? And during that time, you were only one of many. There is only one girl he bothers to keep exclusively to himself."

"Who?" Hitomi asked, devouring herself with curiosity.

Miguel didn't answer her, but tapped his fingers on the desk impatiently, and shook his head like he was about to snap. "This is ridiculous. You don't even seem to know anything true about him. Well, then what about Van? You stare at him as though he was made of gold, so you must know why he keeps you here."

"I don't know what you want me to say," she said, her temperature rising. "I thought that what happened with my friend Millerna was enough to explain my interest here, but apparently, that sort of thing happens all the time."

Hitomi was aware that she was getting close to having a major argument with Miguel, and she had to avoid it. She had never considered that her presence in the house was a source of resentment to Miguel, but she hadn't paid much attention to him. He was right; she just looked to Van for everything, and hadn't really gotten to know Miguel very well. But it wasn't a good idea for her to fight with him. She was better off to take off for now and give him the opportunity to cool down. Then she could ask Van to explain all this to both of them. Why was he keeping everyone in the dark?

Van said that he knew her from somewhere, but he wouldn't say where. That had to be the reason why he treated her so specially. It didn't have anything to do with Dilandau, and he had just used that as a cover, but why?

"Look Miguel," she said, trying to calm herself into being reasonable. "I'm gonna go take a shower. When Van gets back tonight, let's sit him down and have it out with him. I'm really curious as to know why he's asked me to stay as well, if the reason he gave wasn't true. I don't like being played. I thought that the circumstances of my arrival were fantastic enough to explain anything, but you've just showed me that what happened to me was not extraordinary. I want answers just as much as you, so we'll get them from him together, okay?"

Miguel looked somewhat pacified and said wearily, "All right. So, go have your shower."

"Thanks," she said as she turned and headed up the stairs.

She needed to talk to Van so badly. There was that strange dream last night, that price on her head, and the reason he kept her here. She had to talk to him. Maybe she would see if she could get him on his cell phone after her shower.

Just at that moment Van came in the door. He had Merle close behind him. Hitomi turned and saw him. He seemed so tired. She had never seen him look quite like that before. She guessed that he really did need his sleep last night. He set his car keys on the kitchen table. He tilted his head and saw Hitomi.

She didn't greet him or Merle and instead said quietly, "This morning my dead body became worth a hundred thousand dollars." Even before she finished talking her eyes had filled with tears.

Merle shrugged. "Look on the bright side. At least you're worth something to somebody. You haven't been much help to our operation," she stated callously.

"Merle," Van said in a controlled tone. "Hitomi has been a big help. She works down stairs with Miguel most of the time. Have you been so busy that you haven't noticed that?"

Merle put her hand on her hip and said flippantly, "No. Every time I've been here she's following you like a puppy."

Hitomi face went white with rage. How could she say that? Every time Hitomi saw Merle the girl was hitting on Van like he was the last man on earth. Hitomi decided not to say anything. She bit her lip. If she said anything, she would end up in a fight with Merle and that wouldn't make Van very happy.

"Are you saying that because of hurt feelings?" he said to Merle calmly. "There's no reason for you to attack Hitomi just because you're mad at me."

"I wasn't attacking her. I was merely addressing a problem in our group that needs attention."

"Well, I don't think Allen signed his leadership away to you. However, I agree with you that there is a problem that needs attention, and while I deal with it, I am ordering you to go home and enjoy your day off." He said this in such a soft voice.

No wonder everyone thought Van was a player. The tone in which he said all of that was perfect. Any girl would do what he wanted. Hitomi watched Merle melt in front of him. Then she shot a worried glance in Hitomi's direction before heading towards the door.

Van walked up to Hitomi after Merle had gone. "Did what Merle say bother you?"

"No. Thank you for defending me," she said frostily, as she stalked away to her bedroom. She was stomping her feet she was still so angry, both with Merle and with Van. She was angry with the way Van dealt with the problem, and angry that he hadn't reacted when she told him the price on her head, and angry that he hadn't been as gentle with her as he had just been with Merle.

He was following her down the hallway. She had been about to slam the attic door in his face when he caught the door handle and peered into her eyes, "Thank you for not getting into a fight with her. She's not very happy with me right now."

"Oh, well, imagine that. I'm not very happy with you either," Hitomi growled, winding up to slam the door shut again.

He caught it again, just before his fingers were slammed into the door frame. "What happened?" he asked sincerely after he forced the door back open.

"I already told you," she said between clenched teeth. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm trying to close my bedroom door, and you're sorta in the way."

"No. I'm not going away. Not until I've apologized . . . or something."

"Or something?" Hitomi exclaimed in utter vexation. "Get out!"

"No!" he said, and he pushed the door the rest of the way open and entered the room.

"Can't you tell I don't want to talk to you right now?" she questioned, leaving the door and walking around the room collecting supplies for her shower.

"I want to know what the problem is," he said, sounding not at all like the gentle Van who had just spoken to Merle.

"I already told you. Now leave me alone!" she yelled, throwing her towel over her shoulder and heading for the door.

"I already said I wouldn't. You're just upset about the bounty? It was gonna come out sooner or later!" he shouted, standing in the doorway – blocking her way out.

"What was going to come out sooner or later?" Hitomi fumed. "Ya know, Miguel is really pissed off with you too. He says he has no idea why you asked me to live here; that he has no idea why you went through so much trouble to get me. He says Dilandau already has a woman he's crazy about and that I never had anything to do with that. So, what is it Van? Why do you, and apparently Dilandau, want me so much? It doesn't make any sense. I'm just an ordinary teenager. I go to the mall, and I go shopping, and I exercise, and go to school. If Dilandau doesn't love me and you don't love me than what do either of you want from me?"

" . . . You're wrong," Van said.

"About what?" she snapped.

He moved out of the way, so she could pass. "Go ahead," he said, not sounding like he was trying to pacify her. He got totally out of the way, and went over to Hitomi's bed and stretched himself out across it with a defeated sort of attitude.

She stood there silently and watched him.

He put his hands under his head, and stared at the ceiling.

"Are you going to explain anything to me?" she asked.

"I'll tell you anything you want to know, once you've relaxed. I'll wait until you're feeling better," he said.

Hitomi looked at him. He looked like he was prepared to wait forever.

Hitomi felt her muscles uncoiling. "Okay. I'm going to go take a shower. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Fine by me," he said, and smacked his tongue like he had an awful taste in his mouth.

Hitomi took a deep breath and headed for the bathroom. He was right. She needed to chill out, and a shower was a good start. Her nerves were on fire and her stomach was completely empty. Maybe she'd get something to eat too before she went to have it out with Van.

Oooo! Have it out with Van. That probably would have sounded more fun to her before she heard the news that she was worth a hundred thousand dollars dead. That was a lot of money. Heck, a person could do a lot with that much money.

6


	18. Chapter 18

_Author's Notes: Sorry I haven't uploaded for two weeks. I was in the hospital two weeks ago, and last week I was still groggy, so I'm behind. Well, I'm not going to catch up, but I'll post next week too. Thanks to everyone who reads and especially those who review. Love!_

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen**

Hitomi really did think of going to get something to eat before she went to go see Van, but it really just didn't seem like a good idea. Her anticipation for what he would say was driving her wild, and she just couldn't wait another darn second. The shower had only been a good idea because she was raging out of control.

"Okay," she said, entering the room and seeing Van still relaxing on her bed. She shook her wet hair and sat down beside him.

"Are you calm?" he asked, propping himself up on his elbow and regarding her seriously.

"I'm calm."

"Are you ready to hear everything?" he asked. "There's a lot to tell you, but I don't want to start without your reassurance that I'll be able to finish my story. You won't run out on me before I finish? When I'm done, you can leave, or do whatever you want to do, but I really want you to listen to the whole story. Please."

Hitomi eyed him suspiciously, "All right. I'll listen to everything."

He took a deep breath, and brushed his hair out of his eyes. "This might be complicated for you, so please don't be angry with me. Please try to understand. I first saw you two years ago; when you were still in grade ten. It was around the time that you first started hanging around with Dilandau. I never would have known who you were if you hadn't sparked a friendship with him. He wasn't the leader of the Dragon Slayers back then. He was just a regular punk, but I had my suspicions that he was going to become fairly dangerous. So did Allen."

"That long ago?" Hitomi questioned, a little confused.

"Yeah, that long ago. I told you before that I followed you one night after Dilandau had been particularly mean to you, and I saw you crying in the light of a street lamp. Do you remember?"

She nodded.

"Well … that wasn't the first time I followed you," he said quietly.

"It wasn't?" Hitomi asked, surprised. Her temperature was beginning to rise again, but the sensation she was feeling was not exactly anger.

"It wasn't the last time I followed you either. I was interested in you to begin with. At the time I was twenty, and considered myself a monster to be interested in a fifteen year old. You were fifteen when you met Dilandau, weren't you?"

"Yeah," she said, wondering how much he knew about her. "Almost sixteen."

"I'm sure you can understand how I felt. It seemed ridiculous for me to be interested in someone so young, especially when I was moving onto my third year in university. I never thought that cradle robbing would turn out to be one of my vices, so I was ashamed of myself for wanting to be near you. I can't tell you how sick my attraction for you made me. It seemed so wrong," he said, tracing an invisible pattern into the knee of his jeans.

"That explains a lot," Hitomi said, drawing her eye brows together, and thinking of his speech about the girl of his dreams. Then she relaxed, and tensed. Was she that girl? Could it be true?

"Does it?" he asked, looking at her suddenly. "That's good. I'm glad that not all of this is a surprise to you. It would be very bad for me if it were. Anyway, even though I was supposed to be watching Dilandau at the club and making sure he kept himself out of trouble for at least one night, but I found myself watching only you. Back then, you seemed like such a little girl, even though I was fascinated. So, I told myself that I couldn't let myself become involved with you, and to me that meant that I couldn't introduce myself to you until you got older. I thought that once I introduced myself to you, I wouldn't be able to keep away. So, you had to grow up, but you also had to disentangle yourself from Dilandau. But there was also a third option."

"What was that?" Hitomi asked. She couldn't move her heart was pounding so furiously. Couldn't he talk faster?

"I could get over my passion for you. It was unhealthy, I told myself everyday, especially on days when I went out of my way to see you when I should have been doing other things. I also tried my best to get you to notice me on the nights I saw you at the club. I shouldn't have done that. It was useless anyway. You only ever noticed Dilandau."

"You were there that much! What did you do?"

He swallowed a lump in his throat. "This is even more ridiculous when I say it out loud." He slumped his shoulders. "I used to dance beside you, or sit at the table next to you. Just things like that. I thought that at the very least, you had probably seen my face at the club many times and thought I was a regular, but it turns out you didn't see me at all."

"That's why you're always asking me if I recognize you?"

He gave her a slanted look. "Try not to think about it. I just thought that if you started talking to me on your own, then I could claim an acquaintance with you without having actually introduced myself to you. Because, I made myself promise that I wouldn't do _that_."

"But, in the end, you did."

"I didn't want to that night, which is probably why I was so abrupt, but I was truly worried that you'd get caught in the crossfire if I didn't go out of my way to ensure your safety. So, I downplayed everything and tried to act like I didn't care that we had met. You weren't even out of high school yet, and I promised myself that I'd wait until you were in university or college yourself. But there I was, acting like an idiot."

"You were fine."

"Right," he said rolling his eyes. "I'm not actually a cradle robber or a stalker. This was all very weird for me, and like I said, I was thoroughly disgusted with myself. I would stand, leaning against the railing at the club looking at you and Dilandau dancing and inwardly curse myself for hours. The other thing that was obnoxious was that I got hit on all the time. People go to clubs like that to find some of that kind of fun, and I was totally unresponsive no matter who approached me."

Hitomi frowned. She doubted she believed _that._

"So, then the next morning after we met, I was unbelievably upset about what happened with those boys who got arrested. I wasn't fit to be around, and was in such a vile mood, that there was only one thing to calm me – you. I'd like to think that if that tragedy hadn't happened, I would have been able to stay away from you, Hitomi, but I know that's not true. The point was I was so bad off, that I couldn't stay away if I wanted to. After that, I decided not to bother with my reasons for keeping away from you. It seemed pointless, and I was anxious to get on with things."

"But, if you like me this much, why haven't you shown any real interest in me since I got here?" Hitomi asked, on the edge of tears. He had felt _this_ strongly? Why hadn't he said or done something?

"If I'd known you were going to be so relaxed about my inner struggles, I might have said something. It was a really big deal for me that you were so young, and I was trying to wait for you to grow up. Like I said, I'm not a cradle robber, and I didn't want you to think that."

"I don't. Do you think I'm grown up now?"

He didn't answer at first. "I guess you're eighteen, and that's an adult."

"That doesn't matter to me. Do you think I'm old enough for you now?"

"…That has yet to be seen."

Hitomi hadn't realized it, but she had been leaning forward, and she was almost on top of him. At his statement though, she recoiled into herself and backed away from him. "I see."

"You said you'd listen to the rest," Van reminded her.

"Of course," she said, not daring to leave in case he said something else important. "Will you answer one question?"

"Yes."

"Your moon tattoo is for me?"

He nodded gravely, and then looked towards the window.

"That's difficult to believe. Why a moon? And why would that symbolize any affection for me at all?"

"You're not going to believe that it's for you?"

"Perhaps not," she said, wanting to believe everything he said, but she was becoming afraid to do so. Eries said he was a player. Was this what he did with everyone? She was sickened that that might be the answer, but she couldn't move away. She liked him too much.

"You see," he said, putting his hands together. "That is exactly why you're still too much of a child for me. You couldn't handle me."

"I couldn't handle you? That's presumptuous!" she exclaimed, totally startled by what he had just implied.

He shook his head. "Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not implying that you're too inexperienced sexually."

_Why had he just said that? _ Hitomi was beat red. _Why had he just said that?_

"Whoa! You're about to lose your head, calm down. I probably shouldn't have used such bold language, but I thought that whole train of thought was going down the wrong track. I'm sorry. I should have known better. That has absolutely nothing to do with how mature a person is. Kids fool around. That's not what I'm talking about. I mean, you need to grow up in your head to be ready for us to be together. You need to experience more, and become wise. Not that I'm such a prize pig that I deserve a woman to break her neck over me, but I can't let you become my lover when you're still a child. You won't develop properly and become strong if you rely on me. I'm willing to do everything in my power to protect you, but that also means that I have to give you the opportunity to become strong enough to protect yourself if I can't be there."

"So, you expect me to wait for you? Perhaps years, until you think I'm grown up enough for you?" Hitomi asked, understanding exactly what he wanted and becoming angry.

"That's how much I love you," he said, his brown eyes becoming pools of dark liquid.

He had said he loved her, but it seemed worse than if Dilandau had confessed. How could he love her and not want to be with her? Those two things didn't even seem to go together. He was just playing with her. Just like Dilandau, only worse, because she liked Van a hundred times more. She wanted to throw him out of the room, or run away herself, but she remembered her promise to him, and said in a cold, cold, cold voice, "Is there anything else you wanted me to hear?"

"The fact that I love you means nothing to you, does it?" he asked, seeming very aware that he had just told her he loved her, and expecting some sort of reaction from the declaration.

She didn't answer his question directly, but said, "I'm sorry Van, it just doesn't seem to me that you can be very serious about me if that's really your plan. I just can't see how your love for me can live on with the two of us being apart. It doesn't make sense. I'll go away to college or something so I can grow up for you, and you'll begin to forget me, and fall in love with someone yourself. It's not that difficult to fathom. People are people, and what's worse … through all this you have not asked me what I wanted," she huffed in cross bewilderment.

"What do you want?" he responded promptly.

She took a deep breath to prepare for her tirade. "I want someone who is going to stay. Someone who is going to stay by me; be support for me and someone I can support. Not someone I'll find another girl hanging off of – like the way you allow Merle to practically lotion you with her body. Why would I find that attractive? I thought there was no way you liked me if you were willing to let her have that kind of access to your body, and when I was watching no less. Did you think that was a good way to win me?"

"No. I wasn't trying to win you. There's still so much that needs to happen before we can be together. I wasn't planning on making a move for you, so it didn't matter what she did. Until last night when you told me that it wasn't okay. I had a talk with her today and she's livid with me."

"Like I said – I'm no less livid with you than she is. In fact, I'm worse."

"Do you have any other complaints about me, Hitomi? I'd be very interested to hear them?" he asked in what seemed like a tolerant tone.

"Yeah, I do. Why haven't you told anyone why you brought me here? Miguel resents it you know and he had it out with me earlier."

"I don't give a damn what Miguel thinks. I told Allen why I brought you here to join the Abaharaki, but other than that, I really don't see how it's anyone else's business."

"I'm still ticked off that you didn't tell _me_ the true reason. Why couldn't you have told me you liked me? I've been eating my heart out over you since the night I met you, and if you want an explanation as to why I never noticed you at the club, it was probably because I took one look at you and figured you were totally out of my league. It's very confusing. Like you said, you're an adult, so why would you have a problem talking about 'adult' feelings? It's not like you're a stuttering teenager who can't deal with what's going on in his head."

"But you're a kid, so could you deal with my 'adult' feelings? I'd feel like I was forcing myself on you!"

"Which would still be a whole lot better than letting me believe that you were insanely in love with another girl, and that I didn't have the slightest chance with you!" Hitomi bellowed back at him. It wasn't really in her nature to yell, but this new attitude of Van's was bringing out the worst in her.

"Okay," he said, sitting up and getting off the bed. He took to his feet and began pacing the room. "This argument is getting us nowhere, but I suppose we've got to have it. Who would have imagined that things would be this difficult? I'm totally blown away."

"Well, there are plenty of other girls out there if you think I'm too much trouble," she said saucily as she lay down on the bed where Van had just been.

"I don't think that! There's nobody for me, but you, even if you don't return my feelings. Besides, we were practically made for each other. Is there anything else you don't approve of? I'd like the chance to explain myself in more detail before the end of the night."

"It's mid-afternoon!"

"Yeah, that's how long I think we're going to be fighting, cause we're not anywhere near finished."

Hitomi suddenly smiled. Van was so cute when he was ticked off. He was stalking back and forth stretching out his long legs, and looking so aggravated. It was exciting to know that it was her who had driven him to distraction. She wished she'd been able to see him like this before. He was definitely being a jack ass, but he was so cute, and she was automatically reassured that she could be the one to set him straight.

"So, come on, do you have any more complaints? We might as well get everything out in the open."

"I think you're underestimating me. I don't know what the heck you're talking about when you place yourself so high above me because you're a few years older. I think I'm fully capable of loving you the way you want. I think the only way I'd get the experience you so crave would be for me to have another boyfriend before you. But, you know what," Hitomi said to him quite snottily, "I'd like him better than you, because he'd stay with me, instead of ordering me away." It worked, she really had his attention.

"I said it before, that's not what I'm talking about. Your experience in a relationship is unimportant to me. I want you to be wise in your mind."

There he was, demeaning her again. Well, she wouldn't stand for it. "You'll lose me that way," Hitomi said icily as she looked away.

"So, it's now or never?" he asked, his eye brows drawn up together in a frown.

Hitomi saw the expression, but didn't change her mind. "Basically."

"I really believe that you'll be grateful someday that I didn't jump all over you, but instead gave you the freedom to do things for yourself."

"No," Hitomi yelled. "I'll only remember that you patronized me, and that you loved yourself so much as to not allow yourself the humiliation of having dated a girl who was still in high school."

At this, his eyes went wide, and it seemed that he involuntarily stepped backward. What she said was obviously quite a serious blow to him. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I never thought of it that way."

Hitomi seemed to have really stunned him, but that didn't make her change her mind about what she had said, instead she was congratulating herself on having had the nerve to say it.

"Maybe we shouldn't have this conversation right now," he said softly and slowly. "I'll need some time to adjust myself to your way of thinking, because you're clearly right about me, and I have been a fool. Besides, Miguel was in here earlier, wanting to hear some answers from me regarding you. I told him to shove off, rather rudely, and I should go apologize to him."

"May I come?" Hitomi asked, very pleased that her words had had such an impact on Van. She knew she could set him straight.

Van looked at her for a moment, his expression unreadable. "You may come with me if you like. It'll be my first step into allowing you into my world, for real. I'm sorry I deceived you, Hitomi. I shouldn't have pretended that you meant anything to Dilandau in a romantic sense, when I was the one you meant something to."

"So, you're going to tell Miguel the truth?" she asked, starting to feel like she could feel from speculation. She really didn't like the idea of being publicly disliked by the members of the Abaharaki and she would love Van to clear it up for her.

Van shook his head. "No. I was just going to apologize to him."

"Why won't you tell him the truth?" Hitomi asked, startled that Van wasn't going to come clean.

"It's NONE of his business," Van said seriously. "If he has a problem with you, he can leave. I'm not forcing him to live here."

"But what about me? He says that people don't approve of me being part of the group because I'm not good at anything."

"Since when was Miguel the hub of our group? He has never gone on one mission, and spends all his spare time cooped up in my basement. How many members of our group even know who he is? Chid is more popular and incidentally not home right now because he's visiting friends. Has Miguel ever gone anywhere, except to school?"

Hitomi thought about this. Van was surely right. Everything he said made sense. Miguel didn't even socialize with group members when they came to the house. "Well, then why did he say that horrible thing to me if it wasn't true?"

"I have no idea. The circumstances of his joining us were odd, and I can't say that I entirely trust him, which is why I'd really rather not let him in on my biggest secret."

"Why do I have to be a secret?" Hitomi asked, starting to yell again. "I thought you said I was right and that you were wrong to try to hide that you wanted to date a teenager. Isn't that what you just admitted?"

Van raked a hand through his hair impatiently and put his hands on her shoulders. "You, little girl, are going to be the death of me. Look, I said I didn't really trust him. It's nothing serious, he's probably fine, but there is something weird about him, and I'd rather not divulge my whole life to someone who already has the power to hurt me. I don't really expect you to understand, but if it leaked that you are the girl I got my tattoo over, before I'm ready – and I'm not ready yet – it could be disastrous. You wouldn't be safe, and I really want you to be safe."

"How long would I have to wait for you to be ready?" Hitomi asked sighing.

"Well," he said, letting go of her shoulders and plopping back down on the bed. "You just told me that my first strategy was no good. I'll have to come up with another one. But, I think the only thing for us to do would be to go on a sort of … for lack of a better word … vacation … together."

"A vacation?" she said, giving him a puzzled expression. "That's sudden."

"We'd just need to go away for a little bit, so I could talk to you really candidly without fear of discovery." He took a really deep breath, "I could use this trip as well, as I'm majorly out of practice."

"Out of practice? For what?"

He gave her a flirty wink and headed for the door. "You'll see. So, do you still want to come with me to talk to Miguel?"

"We need to talk more!" Hitomi called to Van chasing down the stairs after him.

"I agree. We need to talk more, but first I need to speak to Allen. We might not be able to get away right now, but we'll need to make arrangements as soon as possible."

"Where would we go? Somewhere warm?"

"Tut tut tut … it'll be a surprise," he said opening the door to enter the downstairs office. "Hey Miguel," Van said brightly to the other boy.

Miguel turned around when he saw Van and shouted, "There's a problem! A huge problem! Gaddes just regained consciousness at the hospital and he says that the The Dragon Slayers sent us a message through him that they have taken some of our people hostage."

"What!" Van exclaimed in disbelief.

"They're being held at the construction site Gaddes was working on. Some of them have been there since last night. He says that they want you Van. You go and the rest of our group will go free."

"Who have they got?" Van asked, rushing to the phone.

"I can't give you exact names, because they didn't tell Gaddes who they took."

"Can't we find out somehow?" Hitomi asked, suddenly extremely worried.

"Have you spoken to Allen?" Van asked Miguel.

"No. Not since I took him home last night."

"I'll call him," Van said, as he dialled the number. He waited and waited, but no one answered. "Is there a time limit on when Dilandau needs to see me?" Van asked, hanging up the phone and dialling another number.

"Who are you calling?" Miguel asked.

"Gadeth. I want to talk to Gaddes directly."

"I think he said he had to turn off his cell phone because he was in a hospital," Miguel said.

"That's right. How irritating!" Van said, hanging up again and calling yet another number.

"Who are you calling now?" Hitomi asked, completely unprepared as to what should be done in a situation like this.

"Merle. I want to find out if Eries made it home from the club okay last night. Dilandau was there after all," he paused. "Hi Merle . . . yeah, I know you don't want to talk to be, but this is business. Did Eries come home last night? … Oh, she didn't … why would she have been with Allen? Ohhhh! Thanks Merle, you've been a great help. Bye." He hung up.

"They want you there by nightfall," Miguel said. "What are you going to do?"

"Well, I'll be there by nightfall, but right now I'm going to run over to Allen's and see if I can find out some clues about what happened to him and Eries. Hitomi, could you get on the phone and find out who's been taken? Also, you might want to call your house, just to make sure your family is there. Hang up and don't talk to them though, okay? I'm also going to the hospital to talk to Gaddes. We've got to get as much information as we can before I go tonight. This is going to be bad, and I don't want any surprises."

8


	19. Chapter 19

_Author's Notes: This is a fairly short chapter. One of my readers wrote in last week that they thought that Hitomi's reaction to Van's confession was refreshing because Hitomi didn't go 'Wow, I love you too'. That sure was a nice comment. Thanks to my readers and my reviewers!_

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen**

No one was there when Van went to Allen's, so Van said that he and Eries had probably both been taken. Hitomi discovered that Chid and several other members were missing as well when she phoned everyone. No one had called in with information about the missing people because it had been less than twenty-four hours. It seemed silly to call until they had been gone for longer.

"Maybe Chid just went for a walk by himself, eh?" the guy said to Hitomi when she called. Obviously, that was not what happened.

Van had also gone to the hospital to talk to Gaddes, but didn't find out anything new. Everything was just as Miguel told them. Van was to go to the construction site by nightfall and everyone would be set free in exchange for him.

Hitomi argued with Van that he ought to take her and Miguel with him for backup, but he adamantly refused, saying they would only slow him down. She complained until he explained that he really needed people at the house to advise him in case of crisis situations.

"So, stay by the phone," he said as he headed for the door. "I wanted to tell you that I was sorry for our argument this afternoon Hitomi, and that we might not be able to take that vacation together."

"You'll come back, won't you?" she asked, trying to believe in his abilities.

"I'll come back. Wait up for me, okay?"

Hitomi nodded and waved her hand slowly to him as he closed the door. She wished that he would kiss her goodbye, but he would do no such thing with Miguel standing right there. So, she thought that she could at least blow him a kiss from the attic window before he drove away.

She gave Miguel a meaningful look, and started walking towards her room. "I'll meet you downstairs in a second," she said. "I just have to go to my room."

His mouth became a worried line, like he didn't believe her. "What do you need to do in your room?"

"Gee, why do _guys_ always want to know about_ that_ kind of thing?"

"What are you going to do?" he asked in a no nonsense kind of way. "You're not thinking of sneaking out to follow him, are you?"

"I wouldn't do something that dangerous," she said, trying to sound casual. "If you must know, I was just going to put on some deodorant. I forgot to after I got out of my shower."

"You smell fine to me," he observed dryly.

"You've just been snorting too much crack," she said, noticing that he still didn't look like he believed her. "Do you want to come with me?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

"No. I'll meet you downstairs when you're finished."

She left him standing in the hall. When she got in her bed room, she closed the door behind her. She hadn't thought of following Van, but now that Miguel had mentioned it, she wasn't going to let him go alone on this. Van had watched her back so many times there was no way she wouldn't follow him.

She ripped her clothes off, regardless of the shape she was leaving them in. She ran over to her closet and pulled a new pair of dark jeans off its hanger. She grabbed a white tank top, and shoved it over her head with such force, she almost hurt herself. Rushing over to her dresser she pulled out a pair of socks, not caring what colour they turned out to be. Those went on her feet in a split second. She took a piece of gum from her pack and put it in her mouth. She grasped her hair brush and raked it through her hair. She had a pair of army boots as well, which she put on.

Just then there was a knock on the door.

It was Miguel. "Hitomi, let me in!"

She walked over and unlocked the door. Then opening it, she asked, "What is it?"

He pushed the door open the rest of the way and came in, sliding the door closed behind him and pushing the lock into place.

"What do you want?" she asked, looking now at his hands, and seeing he had a knife. Not a kitchen knife, but a real knife, made of thick metal with a sharp edge. What was he doing? Her eyes were wide; this was terrifying, and a teensy bit exciting. "Miguel, what are you doing?" she asked him, trying to sound calm.

He took a step or two towards her. "Do you know how much you're worth?"

Hitomi found she more ready for a situation like this than she could have expected. She was going to take care of it. "What are you going to do? I don't believe you're after the bounty on my head. You're not the kind of guy who guts innocent girls, no matter how bad you choose to play it right now. You sold us out to Dilandau. Didn't you?"

"Yes, I did," he said almost proudly.

"Why? You were so important to our work. You worked hard every day. You impressed Van every time, and seemed to be happy when he praised you. Didn't he tell you that he thought the work you did was great?" She kept her cool even though she was sweating.

"You misunderstand me Hitomi. I don't have a thing against Van. I have no idea why Dilandau wants him so much. Besides, he's just pathetic. He tells everyone he has these 'powers'. Could anything be more ridiculous? I don't know why everyone believes in him. He's just a liar."

"You weren't there in the stadium the night he rescued me. He's no liar. He's telling the truth," Hitomi said, sparking to defend Van.

"It doesn't really matter, but there is something about him that makes him difficult to get your hands on. It's really sad that they've been trying so hard to get him and haven't been able to get anywhere, which is why I'm here. I was always a Dragon Slayer."

"You were?" Hitomi's mind was working very quickly. "Did you just drop Allen off at the construction site when you were supposed to be driving him home last night?"

Miguel looked surprised at Hitomi's perception and said, "Eries was worried about him, so she came to the house to see him. So, when it came time for me to drive them home, I took Eries there too. It was really quite cute when we were driving in the car. She acts like the hates him, but when he's hurt she cares for him like he's her baby brother. It's really weird."

"So, why didn't you just poison Van or something? You've been here long enough and had access to him."

Miguel shook his head. "I didn't promise to kill Van while I was here. They didn't even ask me. That's not what they wanted. No, I only promised to give Dilandau the opportunity to talk to Van."

"Who's 'they'? Someone higher than Dilandau? Who could that be?" Hitomi asked, trying to pump Miguel for information.

He shook his head. "You people don't know the first thing about the Dragon Slayers."

Hitomi suddenly raised her head in understand. "Oh, I see. You've been feeding us false information all along. That's why you've taken such an interest in the influx of information that we receive. You control it completely. You've been leading us down the wrong trail time and time again. Is that it?"

"That's it. It's nice that you're so clever. Enough talk," he spat out.

"You're going to kill me?" she asked, trying to sound like she was joking. "Okay." She cracked her neck. "I've lived through worse than this. Bring it on!" She didn't exactly hop into a fighting stance. She just stood there and waited for him to come at her.

He flipped the knife in his hand a time or two, as if he were choosing very carefully exactly what he was going to do, but he didn't look like he was unused to using a knife. He took another step. "Fine Hitomi. Let's go." With that he lunged towards her, reaching for her wrist.

Just before he got to her, she side stepped his attack, and he nearly ran into the wall. She jumped over her bed and grabbed the door handle. She had it unlocked quickly and swung the door open. Miguel had recovered and was right behind her. She pushed the door shut and caught his arm in it. She slammed the door with all her strength against his forearm. She could hear Miguel's scream on the other side of the door. She threw her weight against it again. The knife was in his fingers, but when she slammed the door against his arm for the third time, he dropped it on the floor. Hitomi lowered herself to the floor trying to keep her back wedged up against the door, so Miguel wouldn't be able to push it open. She picked the knife off one of the stairs.

Miguel had stopped yelling.

Hitomi had a moment where she was partway down the hallway stairs that led up into the attic and it ruined the wedge effect with her feet. With nothing to support her body in that position, it was comparatively easy for Miguel to force the door open with his shoulder. The door cracked open. Hitomi fell down the set of stairs and onto the floor. She bumped her head on the wall and landed on her back. Miguel moved to jump on top of her in order to get the advantage.

Then Hitomi did something she never would have imagined. As he came down on her, she pushed the knife into his side. He didn't scream but he crumpled in pain. She pushed his body off of hers with all her strength.

What happened? She was a little confused because of the pain in her head, but she knew what she had done.

When she tried to move him, he was heavier than she expected and she inched her way out from under him. Her hand was still on the knife. She knew she wasn't supposed to take it out. She could do more damage that way. But, she was afraid to leave it in and run. Even looking at his wound, she was unsure as to how much damage she had done. He might be able to pull it out himself and come at her again. She was trying to think about anatomy, and what organs she had hit.

"I'm sorry," she sputtered, still ignorant of how much she had hurt him. There was blood now too, and it was becoming difficult to think.

"Not as sorry as you're going to be," he said reaching for the handle.

She panicked and pulled the knife out of his side. He screamed again, more like a roar of absolute agony.

Hitomi gasped. She had actually stabbed somebody, and it wasn't a stranger. It was Miguel. She thought she would throw up, or faint, but she forced herself to gain control. Her one foot was still under his leg. She pushed him onto his uninjured side in order to disentangle it and heard a jingle. His car keys! She reached into his pocket and pulled them out. She realized very quickly that she was going to need them. In one motion she pocketed them. Hitomi pushed herself to her feet.

"Hitomi!" He suddenly moved and took a bolted grip on her ankle. "You bitch! How could you do this to me?" He sounded like a blood thirsty animal.

She kicked his arm with her free leg, but couldn't get him to let go.

He continued pulling her closer to him. Even though he was speedily bleeding to death, he still had plenty of strength to latch onto her. And what was worse, he seemed to have recovered from the shock of being stabbed so quickly. Maybe she wouldn't be able to get away.

"Let go!" she yelled at him. "I have to call for an ambulance for you. You could die!"

He yanked on her so hard that he pulled her ankle out from under her and she dropped to the floor. Even though he was injured he still managed to overpower her and get her underneath him again.

"Don't force me!" she screamed. "I don't want to hurt you anymore Miguel. Just let me go!"

"I have to bring you in," he growled, pinning her wrist over her head with his blood covered hand. He was reaching for the knife in her hand.

She flipped the handle into her other hand and cut his arm. He howled out again, but she didn't wait this time to make sure he was okay, but kneed him in the groin and got herself out from under him.

Once on her feet, Hitomi ran into the kitchen and picked up the phone. She dialled nine-one-one. She told the operator briefly that there had been an accident at Van's address and to please send an ambulance, but she wouldn't tell the operator her name. Hitomi hung up the phone after the woman on the line had assured her that they would send someone. But Hitomi wasn't going to wait for them to come. She had to follow Van immediately. It had been a trap, in more ways than one.

"I have called nine-one-one," she told Miguel, coming into the hallway with a clean dishtowel. "Don't move. You could hurt yourself more, and you really don't want that." She threw the towels at him and told him again to lie still.

Now he was lying on his back. He was in a lot of pain, she could tell. She only hoped that she didn't hit a major artery. She didn't want him to bleed to death, or have debilitating nerve damage.

"Sorry," she said, feeling that she couldn't say enough. Her head was swimming. What had she done? She couldn't believe it. "Don't follow me," she said whipping the blood off the knife and putting it in her belt. "I don't want to kill you. But I'll leave this phone here beside you, just in case you would like to have someone else come get you instead of the emergency crew. I'm leaving now."

"You're going to go after Van? Aren't you worried I'll let Dilandau know you're coming?"

"You can tell him if you like. I don't really care."

"No?" he looked at her as if he didn't believe her.

"No."

"Hitomi," Miguel said. "Aren't you afraid that I'll tell the police that you stabbed me and you'll go to jail?"

"No. Why would I worry about that? I'll bet you have committed a lot of crimes yourself. Are you on a 'wanted' list yourself? Are the police looking for you? I don't think you want to mess with them. Even if you wait for the ambulance, you'd be smart to say that you don't know who it was who stabbed you." She gave him a mischievous grin. "I'll tell you what though; the Dilandau is going down. Tonight. He has gone too far."

"What makes you think_ you_ can do that?" he spat out hatefully.

She looked down at him and didn't answer his question. "I hope you live. That way you can understand what a horrible thing you did when you betrayed us."

She walked calmly out of the house via the back door. He'd live, so she wouldn't worry about him anymore. She wasn't a murderer.

Hitomi didn't even bother to close the door behind her. She looked down at her clothes as she headed down the porch steps. She was completely splattered in blood. She shrugged her shoulders. She didn't care. She had enough, and it was about damn time every body knew it.

Miguel's orange car was sitting on the gravel in the back yard like it should have been. She ripped his keys from her pocket. She opened the front door and got into the drivers' seat. It was hot in the car with the windows rolled up, even though it was night, so she unrolled them. As she stabbed the key into the ignition, she thought about what she should do. At least she knew exactly where she was going. It was only a matter of getting there.

Hitomi pushed in the clutch and threw the car into reverse. The wheels screamed against the gravel. She slid a little bit, but she knew what she was doing. She had read the address for the construction site Gaddes was working at. If she hurried, she might make it there before Van caused a riot. She honestly didn't think that was very likely, but she might as well try.

The street lights were reflecting on the cement of the road as the city's night life came alive, and the wind was blowing in her burning face.

She was still blown away by everything that had happened. She was the girl of Van's dreams, and he was much less perfect than he seemed, but even so, she still wanted him. He had said they were practically made for each other. She had to find him. Besides, she had to think about Van, if she didn't, she remember what she did to Miguel. How could she have …

It was really time to get going. She shifted into fourth. The engine growled. She would be there soon.

5


	20. Chapter 20

_Author's Notes: Thanks to everyone who reads and reviews. Remember to go buy my book on Amazon - 'The Blood that Flows' by Stephanie Van Orman. Love y'all._

* * *

**Chapter Twenty**

Hitomi pulled onto the private plot that was the Dragon Slayers' new headquarters. According to the report Gaddes had handed in two days before, the outer shell of the building had just barely been completed. This meant that the inside of the building was still not quite finished. It also meant that whatever Dilandau had planned, it could easily be hidden by the outer wall.

This didn't exactly please Hitomi. This also meant that the enemy got to have the battle on their ground, which gave them the advantage. This was going to be bad and Hitomi knew it. She would have preferred to have the brawl out in the open. What was she going to do now?

Hitomi scanned the grounds looking for Van's car. There wasn't a parking lot, and there wasn't likely to be one. There were however, mounds of dirt and gravel stacked up in various places. That was the residue of the construction, but none of the workers were around just then, it being after hours and all. She couldn't see Van's car, and so she had to drive around the hills of earth to see if his car was somewhere that wasn't right out in the open. She couldn't see it anywhere. Perhaps she had beaten him there. No, she hadn't. She looked across the street and saw it parked in someone's driveway. He always did park in places no one would notice, unless they knew his car well. It would probably get towed away if it was left there long enough for the owners of the house to notice it. She thought about it for a second. He didn't care if his car got towed. That way it would be safe, but it also meant that he didn't have a getaway car . . . huh …

Hitomi swallowed hard. She wished she knew which entrance he had taken. Then she could make an educated decision of how to enter the building herself. She made up her mind that she wouldn't go in the back way. Dilandau would have people posted there. The back door may be a good way to get out, but not to go in. The front entrance would be fine if she was as capable as Van, but she wasn't. She made up her mind that she would break into one of the side windows. That was her best bet.

She parked Miguel's car on the farthest corner of the lot. She snatched the knife up in her palm and got out of the car. She took the keys and put them in her pocket. She even thought to lock the car. She realised that this wouldn't stop anyone from stealing the car if they wanted to, but she hoped that it might slow them down a little bit if they had to gain access and then hot wire it.

She slipped the knife in through her belt, and began running towards the building. Just as she was really getting some speed a column of fire cracked from the roof. The brutal sound of it threw Hitomi's head back as she stared at the roof of the building and the sky. There were dark clouds gathering above, terribly black against the background of evening stars. What happened? Were they at battle already? There was no time to waste. She jumped into action and rushed to the window she had planned to break. There were no lights on in that particular room.

Hitomi lifted up an orange pylon that was on her route, and when she reached the window, she smashed the glass into a million pieces with it. Hitomi didn't make a sound at the crack, even though she had never broken a window before, but she heard a woman's yelp as she crashed it open. Hitomi looked in the room. She hadn't been able to see inside the room until the glass was broken because it was so dark. Now that she could see, she saw that it was a bedroom. Was the building really _this_ complete? Wait. She knew this bed room. She had seen it before. She couldn't figure out where until she saw a blond girl huddled by herself in the corner. This was the room she had seen in her dream, and that girl was the girl Dilandau had hurt.

"Hello," Hitomi said to the frightened girl as she entered the room, careful not to scratch herself on the broken glass.

The girl's eyes grew wider than before, if that were possible. "Who are you?" she asked without the slightest trace of fear in her voice. She seemed to be trying to hide that she had been cowering in the first place. "Who are you and why have you broken into my bed room?" the girl said regaining her complete composer and rising to her feet.

"This isn't your bedroom. It's Dilandau's."

The girl looked bewildered, but it was clear she did not fear Hitomi, but something else. Hitomi hadn't gotten a good look at her in her dream. Was this the girl with green eyes and light hair that inspired Dilandau to chase girls that fit that description? Couldn't be. It was dark, but this girl's eyes shone azure even in the moonlight.

"Have you been in here as well then?" she asked Hitomi. "What did he do to you?"

"Nothing compared to what he did to you. I wasn't exactly invited," Hitomi sighed and sat down on a chair, also trying to act as though what was happening was normal. Hitomi had to help this girl. She needed help badly. Van wouldn't want her to leave this girl. He would want her to save her. "Are you expecting Dilandau soon?"

The girl shook her head. "No. Not until tonight."

"I think I ought to make it clear that I was never involved with him. I mean the way you're involved with him, if you catch my meaning," Hitomi said, hoping she wouldn't have to spell it out more than she already had.

"Of course," the girl said dully.

"I'm not sure I understand. You're so sure that he's …"

"Of course he's faithful to me," she said, looking at the floor like a wounded bird.

"But I've seen him …"

"You've seen him do what?" the girl interrupted abruptly. "I doubt it's anything too incriminating." Instead of seeming happy and confident at her lover's fidelity, it seemed instead like a horrible truth that she couldn't escape. Hitomi didn't understand.

"I'm no fan of his. It doesn't seem like you are either. He arranged for my best friend to be killed, and had me beaten …"

"I don't want to hear about what he did."

Hitomi persisted patiently, even though it sounded as though the girl was having a hard time controlling her feelings. "Now he might kill a person who's very special to me. I saw what happened to you. He carved his name into your rib cage."

"You were here? What has he had spy holes cut into the walls now?" she demanded, stamping her foot and putting her hands to her pale hair in frustration.

"No, I saw you in a dream. I thought you were very courageous. You're out to save your life aren't you? Don't give up. You can still have a life if you help me."

The girl wandered around in the room almost as if she were in a daze, not really seeming surprised by what Hitomi said. "Everyone thinks I have influence with him and can change how he does business, but I can't. He doesn't listen to me. He never listens to me."

"Please. You don't want Dilandau to hurt people, do you? You have to make a stand and let him know that it's not right." Hitomi paused. "What's your name?"

"Celena," she answered vaguely.

Hitomi thought for a moment, wondering if she could trust this girl. "Do you love Dilandau?"

"No. I hate him," she said seeming as though tears would spring to her eyes. "I hate him so much, but it doesn't do me any good or help me get away. I feel like I'm going crazy, cooped up here as his one and only mistress. You don't know what a relief it would be if he'd take one of the girls who offer themselves to him for just one night. There's always dozens hanging around. Then maybe I could sleep," the girl paused, seeming to stop herself from becoming hysterical. When she was ready she continued, "Sorry for talking to you like this, but everything has been weighing down on me so terribly and it doesn't seem like there's a way out."

"I'll take you out of here," Hitomi offered willingly. "We could leave together, and I'd take care of you. Will you help me find a way out of this building?"

"What's your name?" Celena asked.

"Hitomi."

Celena's face went dead white. "You're Hitomi! I should have known. I've seen you before. I just didn't recognise you without all those scrapes on your face. You were in the arena that night. You got out alive. No one has ever got out alive. Van came and saved you." The girl breathed hard. "Van is the person you came here for, isn't he?"

Hitomi nodded without smiling. Suddenly, the necklace at her neck hurt more than it had ever hurt before. The pain of it knocked her off the chair and onto the floor. She lay crumpled in agony until it lost contact with her skin. For that split second it hurt so much, someone might have shot her. What had happened? Was this girl going to kill her because of her relation to Van?

Hitomi snatched at her belt and snapped the knife out in a split second and was at Celena with the knife at her throat. It was a reflex. The pain in the necklace was gone when it fell back against her chest.

"What are you doing?" Celena gasped.

"I'm sorry," Hitomi said, but was hesitant to remove the knife from the girl's throat. "I really want to help you, but I'm not sure I can trust you. Do you want my help out of here? Will you help me find Van?"

The girl looked at Hitomi wide-eyed. It seemed like she didn't believe that it was possible to just walk out. At last she said quietly, "I'll help you. What do you need?"

Hitomi didn't move the knife from the girl's throat for fear that the pain would start up again, and wondered blankly what she would do if Celena really did mean to harm her. Hitomi examined the girl carefully. There had to be a reason for the stone to hurt like that. She couldn't see one of Celena's hands. She pulled the girl's hand up, so she could see what was in it. Celena resisted until Hitomi press the blade into her skin. Something in the back of Hitomi's brain told her that it was going to be a gun. Hitomi was even hoping that it would be a gun. That way she could take it, and have something to defend herself with. She had the knife, but that wasn't a good weapon for her.

Hitomi pulled the girl's hand harder and finally saw what it was the girl had. Hitomi's jaw dropped in horror. It was not what she expected at all. In the girl's hand was a syringe.

"What's in it?" Hitomi asked, her voice trembled a little bit.

Celena's eyes went wild. "Don't you know?"

"No."

"Didn't they … shoot you up … with it … before you … went into the arena?" she questioned in spasmodic breaks.

Hitomi shook her head. "They did that to you, didn't they? They injected you with this before you went into the arena. What did they do to you after that?"

"I … I don't remember," she cried, dropping her face into her hands in horror.

Hitomi shook the needle out of Celena's hand, and threw it over to the other end of the room. She took the knife away from her throat, and put her arms around Celena. Suddenly, the situation became very clear to her. Celena had been in the process of giving herself a dose when Hitomi came in the room, but she was prepared to use it as a weapon if Hitomi had not turned out to be a friend, but the girl looked so messed up, she couldn't possibly know the difference between friend and foe. "I'm sorry," Hitomi said feeling overwhelming pity for this poor girl. But she couldn't dwell on it long. She had to get to Van. What was she going to do?

Celena cried, "I used to live with my parents, and then I met HIM, and I couldn't stay away from him. I could have been so good, if I never had anything to do with him." She stopped and bit her lip. The girl crunched down into a shivering ball, and Hitomi didn't feel like she could do anything to help her. She sobbed uncontrollably.

Hitomi herself was almost to a panic. How could she get a hold on this situation? She knew she was going to have to leave Celena in this room for the time being. There was nothing else to be done. Hitomi wanted to help, but if she didn't help Van it was going to be the end of the world. She took Celena's face in one hand and made her look at her. "Celena, I need your help. I promise that no matter what happens I will come back and help you get to away. I'll help you, but I need you to help me. Where are they?"

She stuttered, "Down the hall. The far room on the left, then there's a stair case. Follow the stairs."

Hitomi jumped to her feet. "Thank you," she said gratefully. Hitomi turned and looked at Celena. The girl still looked freaked out. Hitomi went around the other side of the room until she found the unused needle. "Do you want to use this?" Hitomi said looking at Celena and wondering how messed up she really was. This couldn't be the half of it.

"No."

With that Hitomi discharged it onto the floor.

"Why did you do that?" Celena barked.

The poor thing had been lying when she said she wasn't going to take it. She was _that_ addicted to it that Hitomi supposed she _had _to lie.

"So you wouldn't take it after I go," Hitomi said, "but I guess you probably have a stash that makes it impossible for me to stop you from going through with it."

"No," Celena moaned almost as if she were in excruciating pain. "That was the last of it."

"I have to go. Stay here and I'll come back for you. Lock the door if you can." Hitomi said as gently as she could before turning on her heel and stepping out the door.

She was half expecting to see guards or something like that watching Celena's door. Instead she couldn't see anybody at all. She made up her mind that she would use the necklace as her guide. There wasn't much else she could do if she wanted to. She trusted Van. She trusted in his magic. That painful little charm was going to be the thing that would save her life. She knew it in her heart.

Hitomi just had to make it to that room. If only she could see what was going on, maybe she could do something to help. It didn't matter what. There was only one thing that mattered to Hitomi, and that one thing was making sure that nothing happened to Van. She found herself running down that hallway faster than she had ever run in her life. Finally she reached the last doors; she waited a moment for the pain to come. When it didn't come at all, she flung them open with all her strength.

The room was charred black. The walls were eaten out as if a fire had been through there. There was a thick smoke everywhere. She couldn't see anything the room was so blurred, until she saw Dilandau walk towards her.

"Hello Hitomi. Anything you want to tell me?" His right hand and arm were black as well as his ear. But he looked unhurt and unruffled as he moved closer.

"What happened?" Hitomi asked – always expecting to be answered properly by Dilandau as if they were still friends.

He stared at her with an even gaze. He purposely ignored her question and went on. "You're little boyfriend Van isn't the only one who can call up an elemental storm, is he?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she told him. She was thinking about how cold it was in his room last night. Somehow he thought that she had done that, because of her threat. Van had been the one to do that and not her. All she knew now was that she had a whole lot more to deal with than Miguel coming at her with a knife. Dilandau was much more experienced and thus much more dangerous.

"I knew," he continued. "I knew it was you. You see there, I have a friend who has this power. He doesn't seem to have the kind of power that Van has exhibits though. From what I understand, it's different for everybody." Dilandau smiled as he paced back and forth. "Anyway, he had some interesting things to say about this power."

"You _have_ friends? It's hard to believe unless you're fooling them. They must know that you're just using them," Hitomi said spitefully.

"In this case, I think I was the one being used," Dilandau said, acting like he didn't care at all that this was the case. "I want his approval, so I'll do what he tells me to. Besides, it's not like I didn't want to do what he asked. He organized us and made me the head of the Dragon Slayers just to kill Van, and right away I knew why. That prissy little prick needed to be taken down. Someone so self righteous shouldn't be allowed free reign."

"Don't say such things about Van!" Hitomi hollered.

"You're interrupting," Dilandau said with a serious expression. "I wasn't finished. This friend of mine told me about a vision he had seen and about a family in which the power only seems to go from woman to woman. It was a famous old house, and the woman he knew who had the power was young when he was young. He told me about this woman and what she looked like when she received her family name. He sounded quite crazy about her, and described her to me. She had light brown hair, pale skin, and green eyes. Sound familiar?"

Hitomi chocked. That sounded like her family.

"He said that he hadn't been able to convince her to use her powers for his purposes. It really was a shame. But, he said at least she wouldn't get in our way. I think he even rather liked her; so naturally, he was shocked when she died accidentally two years ago. Truly, no work of mine, but the ability passed to someone else, someone we didn't have an agreement with."

A shiver ran down Hitomi's back. Two years ago? Her aunt had died two years ago; her mother's youngest sister. What was he saying?

"I was plain horrified that there was another family besides Van's. I got to thinking about the unlikely attribute of green eyes, because my friend wouldn't tell me her name." He walked up and looked Hitomi in the eyes and then looked at her face. "I suspected that it might be you, but the easiest answer has seldom been the right one for me. I mean I had known you forever, so I looked elsewhere."

"And you hurt and killed that girl Millerna saw, because you thought she had those powers?" Hitomi asked, feeling sick to her stomach.

"Things did not look good that night for that girl. What was her name? I can't remember." The look on Dilandau's face as he said these words was so uncaring, so completely devoid of natural affection. It made Hitomi's eyes burn in anger. "Apparently, I was the only one who could find her. I had met her before and I was expected to meet her again. But it couldn't be you. That would have been too easy."

"That's all the explanation you have to offer?"

"It had been a long drive from the meeting house. I had been thinking hard about what I should do about this new green-eyed girl. To be totally honest I knew exactly what had to be done. She, of course had to be killed as soon as possible. If she had any sort of energy that might threaten my organization, she had to be killed. The boys and I pulled up to our warehouse, and there tampering with the lock was this girl with light hair and green eyes. For a moment I thought that she was you, but when she turned her head I knew she wasn't. We talked to her for a little while about what she was doing there. She didn't have an answer of course. Then your little friend Millerna walked in."

Hitomi's heart fell in her chest. That was what happened. She put her hand up to her mouth. She knew she had to redirect her feelings in a useful way. "Dilandau, what would you have done to the girl if you'd known she was simply tampering with the lock and she didn't have anything to do with this mess?"

He walked steadily towards Hitomi and took her face in his hands. "But I did know."

She moved away from him. "How could you be so cruel?" she almost shouted, her necklace feeling colder and colder.

"I wasn't being cruel. I never touched the girl." He moved his face to the side, and Hitomi caught a glimpse of his blackened ear. He had an ear ring in. It was the moon shaped earring she had seen him wear the other night.

Hitomi blinked as she looked at it. What did that mean? She scanned her memory frantically. Suddenly, she remembered. Van had told her that the only other vision he had seen was about a person with moon as their symbol instead of his dragon. Dilandau was saying that she was the one who inherited those abilities. From her aunt? Her aunt had died, she had been so overcome with grief when she arrived home and was told the news that she completely forgot about fainting at the club. Was Dilandau right? Did she have . . . No. It couldn't be. But it explained an awful lot – like why Van had chosen to get a moon tattooed on his shoulder to symbolize his love for her. This thought reminded Hitomi very suddenly that she needed to find him. "Where's Van? He's who I came for in any case."

"Oh, I don't really know Hitomi. It's you I wanted to see."

"Where's everyone else then?"

He advanced towards her while she backed away. She was clutching the knife in her hand. What was she going to do?

"What do you want from me Dilandau?"

He smiled at her with a smile that made her want to throw up.

Instead, she swallowed and asked, "You don't want THAT from me, so stop pretending." With that Hitomi ran from him into the smoke that was his background. She ran and found nothing. She couldn't see a thing except dark pools of blood on the floor. What had happened here?

Dilandau was hard on her tail. He could run as fast as Hitomi. This she knew for a fact. What was she going to do? She was hoping only that she would lose him in the smoke.

Just then someone jumped down from the I-beams that ran along the top of the ceiling. He landed firmly on his feet, and squatting a little bit as he touched ground. It was Van.

Hitomi gulped down hard as she recognized him. He was okay!

Just then Dilandau stopped in his tracks. He looked at the two of them. Then he said in a very clear tone that seemed to vibrate through the charred room, "Is _she_ part of our fight?"

"No. Get back Hitomi."

Hitomi looked at his set face. His jaw was set tight, and he had a smudge of black across his cheek. She knew he meant for her to have nothing to do with their fight. She didn't want them to fight at all, but she found her body doing what Van had asked. She stepped back. Her cold hand touched her throat. Dilandau had to have something up his sleeve. There had to be something she didn't know. Dilandau would not volunteer to fight Van unless he thought there was a chance that he would win. She didn't even know what had happened in this room before she got there. The burnt walls told her that something rough must have gone on. Hitomi had a terrible feeling of dread, but her necklace didn't hurt. She knew she need not worry for her own safety if it didn't hurt.

Dilandau's face went calm as it did sometimes like when he was announcing the games in the arena. "Are you going to use your magic on me?" he asked. "That wouldn't make for a very fair fight, now would it?"

"What weapons to you have on you?" Van questioned seriously.

"Nothing." Dilandau said as he extended his arms as if to indicate that he really didn't have a weapon on him.

Van gave him a sceptical glance. Van didn't believe him. That much was obvious, but that fact was not going to change Van's mind. He was still going to fight him, even if the fight was uneven.

"You wouldn't have any weapons on you by chance now, would you?" Dilandau said as a sort of joke.

"Hitomi, throw your knife in between us," Van commanded. "Does that suit you Dilandau?"

He smirked, "Sounds fine."

"No," Hitomi answered.

Van turned his head and looked at Hitomi. He looked at her for a long moment.

Dilandau was looking at her too.

She didn't look back at Dilandau. She only looked at Van.

"Don't you trust me?" he asked quietly.

"I do trust you. I just don't want you to get hurt."

"I won't get hurt," he said gently. He was about to fight someone and yet he still had the control to speak to her kindly, her heart was just ringing for him. "Hitomi, I need you to do this. Don't worry. It will be all right."

Her eye lids crushed themselves together and she found water splash her cheekbones. She nodded, even though it was ripping her consciousness to sheds.

"When the knife hits the ground we start. Agreed?" Van bargained.

"Agreed."

Then she did it. She grasped the blade between her finger and her thumb and threw the knife exactly between it. She had the urge to throw it closer to Van, but she knew that he wouldn't want her to do that. The knife flew through the air and then spiked into the floor boards.

Both of them turned and looked at her, stunned by the precision.

"Holy shit Hitomi!" Dilandau exclaimed, for it was perfectly between them and sticking straight up.

Van looked at Dilandau, and raised his eye brows. "Impressive, isn't she?"

7


	21. Chapter 21

_Author's Notes: Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing. Love is all around the world!  
_

* * *

**Chapter 21**

Dilandau rushed down to snatch up the knife, but Van wouldn't let him get to it. He tackled him and sent him crashing to the ground. Van held onto Dilandau's collar and backhanded Dilandau across the face. Dilandau kicked Van to get him off of him. They both pushed themselves to their feet. Dilandau swung his clenched fist at Van, but Van blocked it with his forearm. Dilandau dropped to the ground intentionally and kicked the backs of Van's knees, breaking his fighting stance and knocking him off balance. When he hit the cement floor, Dilandau kicked him in the ribs.

Van grunted in pain, and Hitomi grasped her stomach, sympathizing with how much the kick probably hurt him.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" Dilandau said with a wicked half smile.

He went to kick him again, but Van caught his foot and pulled, taking Dilandau to the ground with him. Dilandau fell forward on his arms. Van lunged on top of him and dug his elbow into Dilandau's back.

As soon as Van took off even the slightest bit of pressure, Dilandau whipped around onto his back and hit Van in the face. Van was off him in a second. They both staggered to their feet.

Dilandau headed back towards the knife.

Van jumped up and grabbed Dilandau's arm. He swung him around so he would have to look at him. He struck Dilandau across the face so hard it sent him sprawling.

"What?" Van bellowed at Dilandau, who was sitting on the floor with his hand to the side of his face that Van had hit. It was only then that Hitomi saw that Van's lip was cut, and he had a few drips of blood settling by his lip. "You didn't learn how to fight without a weapon? They only taught you how to shoot people?"

Dilandau's hand went behind him, as he reached into his pants. "They taught me how to kill, it didn't really matter how." He exposed a gun, and pointed its barrel towards Van.

Van was anticipating it and kicked it out of his hand. It went through the air, and landed hopelessly far away. Neither of them would be able to get it now.

"Have I won it then?" Van asked a little breathlessly.

Dilandau didn't answer him, but instead got to his feet. He went to hit Van, but Van blocked, catching his fist. He backed off a little then and cuffed Dilandau across the jaw.

Hitomi looked away, but when she looked again, Van had Dilandau in a lock. She sighed. Things were under control now.

Van shouted in Dilandau's ear. "Where have you got my people and where's Folken?"

_Folken?_

"Oh, they're somewhere around here," Dilandau coughed as he spat blood.

Van slammed Dilandau's entire body against the concrete and thrust his knee into his spinal column to pin him.

"You know, there is one thing in this that I think is really funny." Dilandau said in a broken up voice. It was broken up, because of his constricted rib cage and the blood splattering out of his mouth.

"Oh, really! What would that be?"

"The fact that you're supposed to be some hero for the 'cause' and here you are, beating me to a bloody corpse."

"I'm not interested in what you thought I was supposed to be like. Where are my people?" Van insisted.

"No. I was wrong. You are exactly what you're supposed to be," he said with a snarl on his face unlike any other.

Van exerted more pressure on his back.

"Okay." Dilandau was barely able to say it.

Then Van eased up a little, giving him room to talk.

"They're in the green room."

"And which door leads to the green room?"

"That one," Dilandau said, looking in the direction of the room.

"Hitomi, go get that gun," Van ordered.

Hitomi jumped into action. She went hunting around through the rubble. Some of the smoke had cleared and it was easier to see what she was doing. Van had done everything save utterly destroy this room. He wouldn't burn down the building like he had with the stadium if he didn't know where the rest of the Abaharaki were.

She soon found the gun and came back to them. She held it carefully and did not put her finger anywhere near the trigger.

"Hitomi, put your foot here." He indicated that she should put it on Dilandau's shoulder blade.

She did.

"Right. Then put your other foot here."

He pointed to Dilandau's shoulder, and Hitomi put her weight there.

This freed Van's hands. He carefully checked to see if the gun was loaded. He then gave Hitomi a quick explanation on how to use it. "I am going to have to leave you here with him. If anything happens I want you to shoot him."

"But Van," Hitomi urgently protested. "I thought that you didn't want him to die."

Van stepped away from the two of them. "I don't want you to kill him. You can do better than that." He cocked the handgun for her and then handed it to her. "I'm sure you can think of some good painful places to shoot him without actually killing him."

She took it, still standing on Dilandau. Hitomi then realized that once Van left, Dilandau could get up when ever he wanted to. Doubtless he could do a push-up with her standing on his shoulders. Hitomi supposed that he was only waiting for Van to leave the room in search of the other members of his team. She shook her head at Van. She really did not want him to do this to her. Pistol or not, she still didn't feel protected. Dilandau could easily take it from her. Hitomi touched her necklace, but it did not feel cold. Did the dang thing know something that she didn't?

Van gave her a meaningful look, to let her know that it was okay, but she was unconvinced.

She wanted to scream to him that she could find the kidnapped members of the Abaharaki and he could stay here with Dilandau, but she knew very well that Van would not consent to it, so she kept quiet. He didn't know where the other Dragon Slayers were. They could be waiting just outside the door, and sending her out to the unknown was worse to him than leaving her here, fully loaded, with Dilandau. She wouldn't be able to do battle with them with the same accuracy as Van, so she had to stay quiet and stay here. Van was doing the right thing, but it still ripped at her. Would she have the courage to shoot Dilandau if she needed to?

As the door shut behind Van, Hitomi jumped off Dilandau with a start. He had begun to lift his chest off the ground and she didn't want to stay on him long enough for him to cause her to topple to the ground. She fell backwards and ripped the gun in his direction. She didn't even see him, but he tore it out of her fingers.

He didn't point it at her, but instead threw it off to the side.

She didn't think that she would be able to get to it, before he had her, so she didn't move from her spot. She didn't say anything to him either, but only looked at him with large defiant eyes. She knew that he was totally capable of doing whatever he wanted to her.

He paced in front of her. "Are you going to fight me, too?"

"What are you talking about Dilandau?" she said looking at the ground for the first time. Conversation was good. As long as she could keep him talking she might have the chance to get out of this. "You weigh twice as much as I do, or more. It wouldn't be even close to a fair fight, so why would I bother attacking you bare-knuckled?"

"It wouldn't be a fair fight for me."

"So, you still don't believe me. I don't have the gift, the power, the ability . . . whatever you want to call it. I am not the girl you're looking for. What makes you think that I have that power? Because I have light hair and green eyes? Is that why?"

"I was unsure about you for a long time. Shall I tell you when I found out that you had the power?"

"Please." She was still standing on the floor in front of him, and she wasn't sure what she believed. The evidence he had already supplied did indicate strongly that what he said was true, but everything was happening so fast that she was having a difficult time keeping up with it. It couldn't be true. Right? But, she thought she knew what he was going to say next. It was probably going to be something about her threat and his room turning cold.

"When you were standing on the platform in the arena."

Her head jerked up. _What did he say?_

"Yes," he continued when he saw her surprise. "That cute little charm around your neck gave it all away. You had frost bite from your neck all the way down to," he leaned over and pulled the neck of her tank top to see down her skirt.

She slapped his hand away, startled.

He laughed and moved just a bit away from her. "I noticed when I was cleaning you up. There's no way you could have gotten that unless you had been given a protection pendant from someone. I suspected it was Van, though I didn't recognize him when I met him at your apartment, and I was proven correct when he came flying through the doors. Don't you know? Those only work for people who have the power to activate the gem themselves. It wouldn't even work on an ordinary girl."

"A protection pendant?" she questioned, confused, touching the stone with her hand. It still hadn't turned cold.

Dilandau looked at her necklace, but he did not touch it. "It warns you when you're in danger, or at least that's what I was told."

Hitomi struggled with her emotions. That was exactly what Van had told her, but he didn't say that she had any sort of elemental gift.

Her head ached. Why had she never realized it before? She concentrated as hard as she could. If this were true that she did have the same abilities as Van, then Dilandau couldn't hurt her right now. As a matter of fact, with Van and herself working together, they could take down Dilandau's entire organization that night. There was no doubt in Hitomi's mind that they could do it. They only had get up and do it.

Hitomi brushed the dust off her pants. She began to walk past Dilandau and off in the direction of Van. She had to know what happened to the rest of their people.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Dilandau shouted at her.

"Out," she said in the flattest tone she could manage. "And don't even think about following me."

"Why you little . . ."

She pushed shut behind her and found the lock on the door. She clicked it into place and left Dilandau standing alone in the charred room. She laughed a little to herself. That had been extremely arrogant! She didn't even know if she knew how to use her talent. She knew that it had to be somewhere inside of her though.

She remembered that evening perfectly now. It had been such a small incident. After she learned of her aunt's death, she hadn't even thought that it was a big enough incident to write about it in her journal. She had been dancing with Dilandau on the dance floor at the club, when suddenly she fainted. Having never fainted before, she had no idea that what happened to her was completely different, but now that she remembered and was actively thinking about it, she knew now that it had been the experience Van described to her. Van must have known all along. The brat!

Once outside the room, she realized that she had taken the wrong door. She had meant to follow Van into the green room, but had made a mistake and taken the door that led her back out into the hallway. Well, it had still been so smoky that she hadn't been able to tell which door was which, and there were several exits. It didn't matter though; she'd head towards Celena and fulfil her promise, and like she was going to deliberately go back in with Dilandau waiting.

To her amazement, when she entered Dilandau's bedroom, Celena was lying on the floor, and Van was standing next to her. There was no one else in the room. Hitomi's first thought was one of surprise. What was Van doing here?

"Where's Dilandau?" he asked her.

"He's still in that room," she said, moving towards him.

"You left him there?"

She nodded.

"Did you have to shoot him, Hitomi?" Van asked, looking worried.

"No! He got the gun away from me though and I decided to run. I locked him in there, but he probably knows fifty ways out besides the door I locked. Where is everyone? I thought he said they were in the green room."

"He lied. There was no one in there," Van said quietly. "There was a one-way lock on it though, so I couldn't get back in."

Hitomi sighed, then bent down and turned Celena over so she could look at her. "Celena, are you okay?"

Celena's eyes were red. She had been crying. "I … I had to help that girl they brought in here." She was trembling violently. "… Be … before you came to get me."

"You're Celena!" Van exclaimed, looking astounded, and seeking Hitomi's eyes to see if that was the truth.

Hitomi nodded.

Naturally, he was shocked to meet Dilandau's girlfriend, but he looked positively blown away. However, he quickly regained his composure and asked, "What girl did they bring in here?"

"I don't know what her name was," Celena sobbed.

"Have you seen her around here before, or had you never seen her before?"

"She wasn't a Dragon Slayer, or at least I don't think she was. She waited tables at the club.

Hitomi shuddered. It was Eries.

Van kept his cool though. "Was she the only one taken in there?" he pointed to the only other door in the room.

He and Hitomi went to it and entered. The room was really little more than a hallway. There were some liquor bottles and a chair or two, but not much else. What on earth was a room like this used for? Hitomi couldn't think. But there was a door at the end. Was it some kind of antechamber, with a more important room beyond it?

"She was the only one I saw," the girl confessed miserably.

"Are you hurt?" Hitomi asked Celena again, going back to where the girl was huddled.

"Not really," she said touching her chest. "I've had worse."

Hitomi pulled Celena's arm over her shoulders. "We need your help."

"Hitomi, I don't want you to go in there," Van interrupted in a breathless way. "I'll check it out." He went to the door at the end of the hall and opened it calmly. He took one look inside and shut the door sharply.

As he turned around, Hitomi saw how pale he was. There didn't seem to be any immediate danger as he leaned again the doorframe, still holding onto the doorknob. Hitomi wondered if Eries was behind those doors. Was she dead? What else could inspire Van to look so terrified?

"Was Eries inside?" she asked in a voice that she couldn't stop from shaking.

He came over and took Celena from her shoulder. "Eries wasn't inside. Let's get out of here."

Was she there dead? What happened? WHY WOULDN'T HE TELL HER?

"Van! Stop! We have to do something!" Hitomi shouted in her panic.

Celena's eyes fluttered and closed. Van saw her face and lifted her up in his arms completely. "What would you like me to do, Hitomi?"

"Was Eries there or not?" she asked quietly.

"I said she wasn't. She was undoubtedly there once, but she's gone now," Van said.

"Answer me plainly," Hitomi asked, getting more and more irritated with him by the second. "Did they kill her?"

Van shook his head.

"How do you know she was in there then?"

Van stood very still and didn't answer her.

Hitomi made up her mind. It didn't matter what was behind that door, she was going to take a look and find out what Van already knew. She turned to go.

"Don't!" Van warned her. "I'll tell you what I saw, but please don't go in there."

She turned around and waited for him to continue.

He proceeded shakily, "They cut her hair. There were strands of her hair on the floor and on the … They've taken her out. I don't know where she and the others are, but they are definitely not here. I barely stepped into this room by the time you got here. I searched this place carefully before we met up. There is no one here. Our people may be alive somewhere else, but they are not here. This was just a trap to draw me out. There is only Dilandau, Folken, and a few Dragon Slayers, and we are on their ground. I don't like fights where I don't choose the battle ground, and I want us to leave now."

"But won't they be killed if you don't give yourself up?" Hitomi shouted.

His head drooped a little as he pulled Celena out of the room. Then he said in the most dispassionate voice, "Don't misunderstand me Hitomi. I have to get Celena and you out of here. If I don't, Allen will never forgive me, no matter what he's going through. I'll give myself up afterwards if that's what's required," he paused. "Why did you come here anyway, if you only came to encourage me to surrender?"

"I … uh … I came to help you. Tell me quickly Van, is it true?"

"Is what true?" he asked apathetically.

Hitomi didn't ask him about her abilities, even though she prepared to, because just at that moment, she saw Dilandau rounding the corner and approaching them. "Van!" she prompted and he raised his head to see who was coming.

Dilandau had stopped and was standing in the hall way - alone. His expression held some sort of conceit that Hitomi couldn't understand.

"Celena, my dear, what are you doing with these two?" he said calmly.

Van looked tired, but he wasn't about to back down. "Are we going to fight in here, or do you want to go outside?" He said without humour in his voice.

Dilandau put his hand behind him and pulled a pistol out of the back of his pants. He pulled on the back of the gun, behind the clip, cocking the gun. "Here's good."

Van didn't move.

"Don't tell me you're going to use that little bitch as a shield. You wouldn't want Celena to get hurt, now would you?"

Not a muscle in Van's face flinched, and he never broke eye contact with Dilandau. He carefully set Celena on the floor and leaned her back against the wall. He stood up his full height. "Are you planning to simply shoot me?

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea, but I don't know how Folken would take it if I actually killed you. Still, I can't let you get away." A bullet shot out of the barrel and hit Van in the leg.

Van staggered and fell to the floor. He didn't cry out, keeping his lips tight, just as Miguel had, but his whole face tightened.

Dilandau smiled at Hitomi.

"What do you want from him?" Hitomi shrieked, crouching beside Van and putting her arms around him. She wasn't at all certain how to treat a gunshot wound. What should she do to help him? "How dare you, Dilandau! And who is Folken?"

"On dear, you must know. You mean Van didn't tell you? His lady love and he didn't tell you about his poor little family."

"Shut up, Dilandau!" Van shouted from his place on the floor. He seemed to have gotten his control back and was now working with the pain. Propping himself up on his elbows he was ripping his shirt, and Hitomi helped him tie up the wound. "Don't say another word or I'll …"

"Or you'll what?" Dilandau urged. "This isn't exactly the time to set everything on fire. Could Hitomi really carry both you and Celena out of here? And everyone _has_ to live now, don't they, Van? Isn't that how you work?"

Van clenched his teeth and then spat on the floor, looking angry as hell. He was cornered and he knew it. "Fine," he said. "Let's make a deal."

"No deal," Dilandau said saucily. "It's much too late for that, and besides I've got the upper hand. Besides, I was about to tell Hitomi your s-e-c-r-e-t."

"Don't!"

"Hitomi," Dilandau said, capturing Hitomi's eyes with his.

She couldn't look away. What was Dilandau going to tell her?

"Folken is …"

Van pinched a blade from his boot with lightning speed and whirled it at Dilandau to stop him from speaking. It would have struck him too, if Dilandau hadn't blocked it with the barrel of his gun. It clanged, metal against metal, and fell to the ground. "Nice throw Van, but not quite good enough. So, as I was saying." Dilandau's scarlet eyes looked savage and his lips unusually sensual as he murmured, "Folken is Van's brother, and the one and only sponsor of The Dragon Slayers."

Hitomi's heart jerked. Van had stopped telling his story before he came to that part. Was that what Van had to live with?

"How do you feel about that, dear little girl? He tries to keep it a secret that his brother is the ringleader for a massive syndicate. He tries to keep it a secret that he's not after the Dragon Slayers, but the syndicate that organized us. He tries to keep it a secret that he's not really trying to stop us from hurting people, but he's really after revenge for what his dear elder brother did. A man who could sell out his own family doesn't deserve to live. Isn't that right Van? Isn't that what you've always said?"

Van was staring at Dilandau as though he were the devil himself. "It's not like that!" he denied.

"See Hitomi, he's not to be trusted," Dilandau said with a casual grin that under the circumstances looked extremely evil.

"And you think you're any better?" Hitomi questioned, not at all shaken by his accusations.

"I'll ask you this one more time Hitomi. Join us!"

"So, you think I'm powerful, and you won't be satisfied until I'm your dog?"

"Not _my_ dog. Folken's dog. He's been anxious to meet you."

"Let him wait!" Hitomi hissed, practically spitting. Suddenly, she got an idea. If _she_ didn't move to get Van and Celena out of here, they wouldn't be going anywhere. Van was in no condition to lead them, and she was the only one who wasn't injured, but it wasn't like she could just walk out. She had to get rid of Dilandau first, but how?

"Oh, he won't like that," Dilandau said, scratching the back of his head with his gun. "Why don't you come and meet him? He's already seen Van, so he can wait here for you to come back."

"Like I'd go anywhere with you," she muttered. The intensity of the heart pounding was becoming harder and harder with each passing second. Her green eyes met Dilandau's red ones, and she had no plans of backing down. She just saw Dilandau and the feel of her blood pumping into the tips of her ears. The memory of the night she got her abilities coming back in a flash. She hadn't allowed herself to feel it before, but now she let it tear wildly through her rib cage. The beat of the music, the light show; she allowed all of it into her consciousness and allowed the melody on the dance floor become one with the beating of her heart. She was so cold she was burning, and she let it burned though her like a forest fire, and knew the feeling was only getting stronger. Her fingers bit into the palms of her hands.

She could do it.

Dilandau pointed the gun at her. "Let's go."

She knew she could do it.

"Why would I do anything you ask?" she whispered. She pushed her hands away from her the way she had seen Van do it when he unleashed his fireball and let the heat go. She watched as blue/gold light gathered in her hands and then escaped from her. It shot out in a straight line in front of her, right at Dilandau.

He pulled the gun up again to cock it, but suddenly dropped it because of how cold it was. With one last look at Hitomi, he started at a dead run away from her, as the walls froze solid, and an unknown wind blew hard behind her.

She could feel the ice too. It was becoming too much, it was hurting her. She couldn't seem to slow it. It was just getting colder and colder and colder. The wind was getting stronger too. She had to stop this. The pain was too much for her to handle. She had to stop this feeling that was raging through her.

She looked behind her at Van. His eyes were bright and he was smiling, then suddenly he brought his fingers up to his lips and blew a stream of heat towards her. The sensation on her back was like a tropic breeze and it awakened her from her ice-induced trance. The blue/gold stream she created was gone, and they were left unharmed, for now. The wind slowed and stopped as Hitomi fell to her knees.

Van lurched over to her and put his arm around her back. "See? I told you. Practically made for each other."

She heard him. Hitomi's heart skipped a beat. She opened her eyes and examined him. "You knew you would be able to stop me from raging out of control."

He nodded.

She examined her surroundings before turning back to Van. She wanted to see what she had been able to do. The walls further down the hall were coated in what looked like solid ice. In some places the drywall had been broken away completely, and you could see between the studs into the next room. Van was right. There were none of their people in those rooms.

Hitomi looked down at her arms. They were white with tiny crystals. So much had accumulated on her hands though. It looked like she was wearing mittens. She wanted to cry it hurt so badly. Then she realized she was already crying.

She turned back to Van and Celena with a face smeared with snowflakes and tears. She looked at the two of then in anguish.

Van reached for one of Hitomi's hands. She had been clutching them to her chest because of the pain. She gave one to him reluctantly. He took it and brushed away the crystals with his hands and then blew on them with his warm breath. At last he kissed her lightened wrist, leaving a white mark on his mouth. Then he blew a delicious hot breath onto her hand. It wasn't a natural breath of his, but he made it heated. She instinctively pulled herself closer to him and put her other hand to the stream.

He stopped blowing on her hands, and said quietly, "What you just did was wonderful." He held her hands gently in hers. "I am sorry that you hurt yourself though. I can't heal it you know, but I hope I made you feel better."

She nodded.

"We have to get out of here," he said with urgency, seeming to realize that they were wasting time.

She bent and pulled Van's arm over her shoulders. "Do you think you can walk, Celena?"

Celena tried it, and half limped over to where Dilandau's discarded gun was. "I guess I can." She bent to pick the metal up, but quickly withdrew her hand when she felt how cold it really was. She pulled at the back of her shirt and tugged it off completely. Hitomi saw there was a bandage on her chest above her bra. Hitomi flinched, even though she knew it would be there. Celena bunched her shirt up into a tight wad, and wrapped the gun with it. She picked it up and began to head down the hall after Dilandau.

Hitomi saw at once what she was going to do. She was going to go after him! "Celena! Stop! You don't have to do that. You can come with us."

Celena turned on Hitomi. She ripped the bandage off for Hitomi to see her wound. It was far more brutal than what Hitomi had seen in her dream. It hadn't even stopped bleeding. Hitomi looked at the floor.

She only heard Celena's footsteps as she walked away.

Hitomi stood there stupidly, wondering what she could do. "Van," she whined at last in a small voice. "We have to do something."

He pulled his weight off of her shoulder and fell to the ground before she could catch him. "You know what you have to do," he said. "Allen would appreciate it if you saved her."

Hitomi nodded and ran down the hall after her. She ran some distance like a rat in a maze before she found them, but she stopped when she saw them.

Dilandau was standing with his hands in the air, and Celena was holding the gun level with his heart.

5


	22. Chapter 22

_Author's Notes: Thanks to all of you for reading and reviewing. Please keep an eye on my profile in the future - that's where my future publishing information will be posted. Thanks._

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Two**

"Celena, sweet heart, you don't want to do this," Dilandau was saying in a smooth voice, as she held the gun level with the middle button of his shirt. "You remember all the fun times we had together?"

"Shut up!" Celena snapped, but the hand that held the gun was trembling.

"We got along so well, you and me," he continued as if he hadn't heard her. "And you know you were always my favourite."

"I remember the night, just after I came here, when you made me hurt that girl. I didn't want to hurt her. Who was she?"

"She was nobody, compared to you," Dilandau said easily, reaching up and taking her gun hand in his.

Celena knocked his hand away and persisted. "No, tell me!"

"Don't be stupid!" he snapped, snatching the weapon out of her hand and grabbing her by the neck to swing her around so she was in his arms. He had her in a headlock and had the gun pointed at her head. "We belong together, you and I. Nothing can separate us. I thought we had gone over this and I thought you understood." He put his hand to her skin where he cut his initials in her chest. "And this," he said, indicating her sore, "was a long time coming. So, don't act like I've treated you badly. I've had your initials carved over my heart since the first night we spent together."

Celena was crying as he yelled into her ear. She looked completely tortured, but all Hitomi could do was stand and watch. She dared not move with the gun in Dilandau's hand.

"You make it sound so sweet," Celena said, biting her lip and sounding defeated.

"Let her go," Hitomi called to Dilandau, finding her courage once she was sure Celena had lost hers. She couldn't allow anyone to suffer at _his_ hands. "Don't you think you've done enough?"

Dilandau didn't even seem to realize that Hitomi was there until she spoke up. When he saw her he took the gun away from Celena's head and pointed it at Hitomi. "Stay right there," he said coarsely. "Here's the deal, if you and Van are still interested in coming to a compromise for the day?"

Hitomi nodded. She and Van still didn't know where their people were, and Hitomi was worried about them.

"I'll let two of our hostages go if Van promises to meet Folken one-on-one, peaceably, at a bar called 'The Voltage Room' in exactly six weeks. At which time, if everything goes well, we'll let go of the others."

"How can we be sure that the remaining people will be safe until then?" Hitomi demanded.

"Hitomi, sometimes I can't believe how stupid you are. I don't know why either Folken or Van wants anything to do with you. I don't care if you are one of _those _people. It still confuses the hell out of me," he shouted. "Don't you hear the sirens? Someone must have seen the smoke from Van's pyrotechnics, and sent for the fire engines. I don't think you want to be caught by the police any more than I do. We have got about three minutes to clear out, and you have about five seconds to agree to my offer. I'll tell you where to find Chid and Eries if you promise that Van will be at The Voltage Room."

"What about Allen and Celena?" Hitomi asked frantically.

"I'm not giving up Celena, and Allen isn't included in the bargain. Chid and Eries are the only two I'm willing to give up. Now it's three seconds Hitomi! Make up your friggin mind!"

Hitomi felt completely trapped. What was she going to do? Dang it, she had no choice but to agree. "Fine, he'll be there. Now tell me where they are!"

He briefly gave her directions to a room down the hall by Van and threw her the keys.

"If they're not there and unharmed, I won't keep my end of the bargain."

"That's fine by me. I'll kill Allen myself if Van doesn't show up to meet with Folken," Dilandau said, licking his lips like a demented lizard.

Celena shrieked in agony.

"Sorry Hitomi, gotta go. The coppers should be here any minute. I hope you have time to get out of here." With that he tightened his grip around Celena and frogmarched her down the corridor away from Hitomi.

She wanted to follow them, but dared not and instead rushed back towards Van and the door Dilandau said contained Chid and Eries. She could easily hear the engines now. They really had to move!

Van asked her what happened and she told him what she had been compelled to promise.

"Did I do a bad thing?" she asked as she fumbled with the keys Dilandau had given her.

Van didn't answer her, but instead instructed her to open the door quickly.

Hitomi swung the door open savagely, and hollered into the darkness, "Chid! Eries! Are you in here?"

Luckily, neither of them were tied down and they came running with all due force to Hitomi's call. When Chid came out, he looked exactly the same as he always had, running like a child - unharmed.

Hitomi caught her breath when Eries came out, she could not believe it was the same person. She was cut in several places and her clothes were torn, but it was as Van said; they had cut her hair. They hadn't shaved her bald but had whacked at it with a knife or something, which left it completely uneven and horrible. When she came closer to Hitomi, she also saw that they had shaved her eyebrows and in so doing had given her a few distinct cuts.

Eries saw Hitomi's horrified expression, but did not look in the least defeated. "I knew you guys would come," she said simply.

"They couldn't break you?" Van asked when he saw her.

"Of course not," Eries said, standing there with the grace of a queen despite her appearance. Hitomi was thoroughly impressed. She had never seen anyone look so strong.

"The police are coming," she suddenly remembered, and spoke aloud. "We've got to get out of here. Eries, help me carry Van, if you can. He's been shot and we have to get out to the car."

Eries immediately placed herself on the other side of Van and pulled his arm over her shoulder. "Let's go," she said firmly.

Together, they made their way out of the building. Van was forcing himself on his hurt leg more than he should have. Hitomi tried to get him to slow down, but it was obvious he didn't want to be questioned by the police either.

They got into Miguel's orange car. She put Van in backseat and sat down next to him, giving the car keys to Eries. Hitomi wanted to sit beside Van so she could help him with his wound. She buckled her seat belt and tried her best to make Van as comfortable as she could by resting his leg over her lap.

Eries threw the car into gear and the tires screeched as she tore across the gravel.

They had to get away! Hitomi hadn't seen a police car yet, but was scared to death that she would.

After they were about a block away from the building, she spotted the police cruisers and the fire trucks. They didn't seem to have much interest in them, and let Eries drive past them without signalling her over. She drove the speed limit, and even though it was jarring Hitomi's nerves, she knew that Eries was trying her best not to call attention to the vehicle.

"Van," Eries asked urgently. "Where do you want to be treated? Back at your house?"

"No!" Hitomi screamed, thinking of Miguel. But why was she trying to hide it? They'd find out the truth about Miguel sooner or later when they went back to the house and saw the blood all over the floor. She wanted to blurt the whole story and tell everyone what happened, that he was really – a Dragon Slayer. She wasn't given the chance though, because Van piped up that he wanted to be taken to his aunt's, and Hitomi held her peace. There wasn't any point telling them about that at such a critical time. They needed to concentrate on escaping and evading the police. There would be time later and she could explain then, couldn't she?

They drove right out of the city and were soon driving on a country road. The prairies stretched out as far as she could see, leaving the city far behind them.

Van's face seemed to go whiter and whiter. He slumped in his seat, and stopped looking at Hitomi. He made an excuse for a bandage out of the rest of his shirt once they were out of the city. Hitomi helped him adjust it, doing whatever he instructed. How much he had bled was worrying her. She had stabbed Miguel, but the gunshot wound seemed to be worse, and it went clear through his calf. To have something like this happen to Van was so painful for her. Hitomi watched the road, and Eries driving with an ever growing need to get him to safety.

Eventually, they took an exit and came off the highway. Down the road several clicks, they came to a house. It was a large farmhouse with a white fence. What could look more innocent? Horses were in a pasture near a newly painted barn. There was a gate in front of the driveway, and Eries instructed Chid to go and open it for them, which he quickly did. Eries didn't wait for him to come back to the car before speeding up the driveway to park as close to the house as possible.

Hitomi jumped out of the car and ran up the few steps onto the front porch. There was a doorbell beside the doorframe and she rang it repeatedly. His aunt had to hurry!

It wasn't long before a woman answered the door. She was tall with dusty grey hair and warm brown eyes. She was wearing an apron, and holding a dish she was drying. This had to be his aunt.

"Yes dear," she said.

"Van is in the car. He's been hurt. Please help Eries and I carry him into the house," Hitomi stammered in panic.

The woman set her dish down just inside the door and came down the steps with Hitomi. She went immediately to the back door.

Van smiled at her faintly from his seat, flashing her a weak peace sign with his fingers.

"That's just like you," his aunt said, signalling Hitomi and Eries to come.

Together, the three women carried him into the house. Van's aunt had a padded table in the bathroom, which they took him to. It seemed to Hitomi that she was prepared for this kind of thing to happen on a regular basis with the equipment she had on hand.

"Are you going to treat him?" Hitomi asked her frantically.

"I don't know," she answered quietly. "You should have gone to a hospital silly boy," she said addressing Van and touching his forehead with affection. She picked up a pair of scissors and began to cut Van's jeans around his wound. "Eries, phone the doctor and tell him to get down here A.S.A.P." She gave Eries brief instructions on where to find the phone, and Eries was off like a shot. "It's a wonder you didn't think to call him in the car from your cell phone," she continued.

"We didn't have one," Van retorted.

"I don't believe that you didn't have your phone on you. How stupid!" She padded down his jeans, but only pulled out his wallet.

"Please don't frisk me like that, Auntie," Van said, looking displeased even though he was bleeding. He was already shirtless and on his back. "It's embarrassing."

"I'm sure it is," she said, tossing his wallet to Chid, who had just walked in the room.

Eries came in right after him. "He's on his way. He said he'll speed all the way."

"And what happened to you?" Van's aunt said, directing her conversation towards Eries, and tearing the remaining fabric from Van's wound. "You look as though you were attacked by a lawn-mower. Don't tell me that's the new style!"

"It's not," Eries said, moving beside Van.

And Hitomi was suddenly struck by how different his aunt was. When Hitomi ran to the door, she thought she was a timid grandma-type, or at least a mother-type. Now she saw that she was nothing of the sort. In reality, she was extremely tough. No doubt she had seen so much action that the sight of Van shot was nothing to startle her.

"Did they do anything worse to you than cut your hair?" Van asked Eries, looking up at her with concern.

Eries shook her head. "They threatened all kinds of things, but they couldn't make me bat an eyelash."

"Good for you for being such a rock. Do you know what happened to Allen and the others? Who did they take? Jeremy, Richard, and Nick, right?"

"Yeah, that's who they took. They seemed to want to keep Chid and I separate since I suppose the others were big strong men, and I'm only a sissy girl and he's a sissy boy."

"Who're you calling a sissy?" Chid interjected.

"It's all in love," Eries reassured him.

Van shook his head. "That stems from a really old idea. I wonder why they decided to stick to the whole 'women and children first' routine. I didn't think Folken had any honour left. What a weird place to show it. He's so sick …" Van let his head fall slack and he closed his eyes. "Hitomi," Van continued, "When the doctor gets here, I want you to go away. I might scream or something and I really don't want you to hear. So, go outside for me, okay?"

"Are you sure I couldn't be of some use to you here?" she asked.

"That's very sweet, but it's really not necessary. Actually, I really don't want you here, so please tell me you'll go outside."

Hitomi agreed, even though she didn't want to.

"Eries, Chid, you guys know what to do. Go curl up in front of the T.V., okay?"

"You got it," Chid said, heading out.

"You too Eries," Van persisted.

Eries followed Chid and went into the living room.

Hitomi walked out of the room reluctantly. She didn't want to leave him like that, but what was she supposed to do? He had _asked_ her to leave.

She followed Chid and Eries into the living room. Chid had found the remote control and was standing in front of the television set with his feet set apart, flipping through channels. Hitomi didn't need to be told; she knew he was looking for information about the fire. So, they had managed to torch another Dragon Slayer hideout in less than three months. That had to be a record, but Hitomi wasn't thinking about it with any happiness. Oh, this sucked.

Just then, a man burst into the house. He didn't even look in Hitomi's direction. He was holding a bag, and running towards the bathroom.

"Good grief" he exclaimed before slamming the door shut behind him.

Hitomi stood there thinking. She was trying to get her bearings and collect herself, but was interrupted.

"Hitomi," Chid said quietly, bringing Hitomi back to the immediate present. "Didn't Van ask you to leave?"

"Yes," she said, turning to keep her promise.

Just then, she heard Van's scream from the bathroom. The window panes in the house seemed to rattle from the shear pitch of it. She had never heard anything like that before and her whole body was wracked with pity for him. Suddenly the scream was muffled. Her guess was that he had finally fallen unconscious. She hoped that was the case.

Hitomi walked out of the house now, even though she stumbled. He told her that he didn't want her to hear that. Stepping down to the grass in the front yard, she wandered over to the gate. She needed to go for a walk, but where was she going to walk to? And she wanted to be as near as possible, just in case they needed her after all.

Everything had gone so very wrong. She was still caked in blood, some was Van's and some was Miguel's, but she couldn't think properly.

The sun came out from behind the clouds. The sky was a dull blue, as if know that it hadn't been a good day. The prairies spanned out over the earth as a covering, and the wind blew slightly. She saw the birds flying overhead.

Suddenly Hitomi remembered how much help her mother had been that horrible day Millerna had been shot. She would have loved to have her mother with her now, but it wasn't possible. She couldn't even call her. Everyone thought she was dead.

Hitomi let her head drop into her hands and cried, but she didn't even get to do that for more than a minute before Eries came running outside.

"Something else has happened," she hollered. "Van's house is burning down!"

**Out Takes**

"Eries! Pull over!" Chid bellowed, looking urgently out the window.

"What? Are the cops on our tail?" she said, checking the rear-view mirror.

"No," Chid said. "There was a Seven/Eleven, but you missed the exit."

"Seven/Eleven? Are you crazy?" Eries yelled. "The cops are after us, and Van's been shot and you want me to pull over so you can get a slurpee."

"The cops aren't after us. You drove like an old lady when we were passing them, and this car's not _that_ hot, whatever Miguel used to say about it," he paused before exclaiming excitedly, "There's a frogourt shop. Could we stop there?"

"Van's been shot," Eries said firmly. "We're not stopping."

"He's been shot a dozen times before; it's not a big deal."

"I have NOT!" Van interrupted heatedly.

"Besides," Chid continued nonchalantly. "Van's a big tough guy. There's no way he can't handle the pain. Isn't that right?" Chid said, taking off his seat belt and leaning over the seat to look at Hitomi and Van.

"Get your seat belt back on," Eries snapped, before Van or Hitomi could answer. Eries grabbed Chid's skull and dragged him back into the proper sitting position without jolting herself in the drivers' seat even one inch. "If I hear one more word out of you, so help me …"

"Watch it, Eries," Chid said, knocking her hand away. "We've just been driving for so long and we're almost out of the city. Did they give you anything for breakfast this morning?" He paused, waiting for her answer. When it didn't come, he finished. "Didn't think so. Now how about we stop for just a second?"

"Even so, why do you want frogourt? That stuff is practically ice cream."

6


	23. Chapter 23

_Author's Notes: Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing. The reviews really brighten my day. Anyhoo - this is the second to last chapter, so next week will be our last week together. Sob... _

* * *

**Chapter 23**

Hitomi came back into the house after some time. She had been out on the lawn thinking for a long time after Eries came out and told her about Van's house.

So Miguel had called the Dragon Slayers to come pick him up after all. She had guessed that was his only real choice, but she hadn't expected them to torch the house. Well, it made sense. With all that information ne the computers and lying around in prints, they probably wouldn't want the authorities going through it, which they undoubtedly would when they came in and saw the blood on the floor. There was no way Miguel's friends would have had time to clean it up before the emergency personnel showed up. Not to mention, resist the temptation to get revenge on Van for how many of their buildings he'd burned down.

Besides, it didn't matter to the Abaharaki what information was in the basement of Van's house now. Because Miguel had been controlling the information it would be almost impossible to say what was true and what was false. Now none of it was useful to Van and they'd have to start over from scratch. Considering how much time Hitomi had invested in helping collect information, she was fairly frustrated.

Well, at least there was one thing she could relax about. That also meant that the Dragon Slayers had found Miguel and taken him to safety. As long as someone sewed him up, then Hitomi didn't have to worry. Miguel had probably gathered lots of information about Van, so he was valuable to them. Hitomi had a feeling that Van wouldn't care what information Miguel had, as long as he lived.

Hitomi found herself still quite shaken by everything that had happened, and by all the things she had done. Now that she had a chance to catch up she was realizing things afresh.

She leaned against the fence and stared off into the distance trying to pull together what actually happened without going into shock.

Miguel had attacked her, she'd stabbed him, and then … she'd stolen his car. _Ohhh_, she stared at the car. They'd have to dispose of that pronto. And she still had to explain all that to Van! Ugh! She wasn't looking forward to _that._ It wouldn't be the least bit fun.

Then she'd broken into the Dragon Slayers hideout and met Celena. Who was she? Hitomi wondered. Van said that Allen wouldn't forgive him if he left her behind. Who was she to Allen? She remembered everything Eries had said about Allen. Was he like Dilandau and only played with women, like they were extras, and Celena was the one who was really special to him? She'd have to ask Eries when Van's operation was over, and she was allowed back in the house. Hitomi had felt so bad for Celena. She seemed so small and frail, and not near strong enough to stand up against Dilandau, yet she'd pointed a gun at him. How cool!

Then Hitomi had found Van and Dilandau and the truth had come out about her abilities. With that thought she was able to feel excited and even a little giddy, such a change to accompany the anxiety that raged inside her heart. She was worried about Van. He was suffering, but she was so glad that he turned out to be honest … and in love with her. He had said that he didn't trust Miguel and he was right. There was no way he should have come clean and told Miguel everything. And that wasn't the only thing. Now Hitomi was dying to get him alone so they could talk, but he probably wouldn't be up for that for a while.

Anyway, Van had to be at the Voltage Room in six weeks. Had Hitomi done a bad thing saying that he would go? She didn't know.

Finally, Eries invited Hitomi back into the house.

"Is Van all right?" Hitomi asked seriously.

"He'll be fine, but it'll be awhile before he's walking again," Van's aunt said, coming into the kitchen and looking at Hitomi and Eries.

"How long?" Hitomi asked with a saddened expression on her face.

"I'm not sure," she said honestly. "It wasn't a bad shot. Dilandau was careful, at any rate. Not that Van won't get back at him for what he's done, I'm sure he'll fix his wagon good. Ah well, at least he won't bury him. Van's not like that. Anyway, the Doc's recommending a wheelchair for the time being and crutches later on."

"Is Van awake now?" Hitomi asked.

His aunt shook her head. "Not yet."

"Can I go sit beside him?"

"Probably better if you didn't. He's asleep, and that boy really needs his rest. It won't do him any good if you go cry over him like he was a corpse."

"I wasn't going to do that!" Hitomi said indignantly.

The woman rolled her eyes and looked at Eries, changing the subject. "I don't know if I can bear to look at you any longer. I'm not much of a hairdresser, but how about we even it up? You'll look like a boy, but …"

"No. Go ahead and cut it off, and I'll tell you what happened," Eries replied.

"I'll go get my scissors then," Van's aunt said leaving the room.

Hitomi suddenly grabbed Eries by the sleeve. "What's Van's aunt's name? It seems ridiculous that I don't know it."

"She's Aunt Flo," Eries said pulling a chair out from the table for her to get her hair cut at and going over to the sink and turning on the tap. "I'm surprised Van didn't tell you, but then I guess he always calls her 'Auntie'."

"What're you doing?" Hitomi asked as Eries bent her head over.

"I'm getting my hair wet, so she can cut it, of course. Those guys really were monsters cutting my hair the way they did. I knew they were just trying to scare me and it'll grow back, but man alive!" She put her head under the running water, and stopped talking.

Aunt Flo came back into the kitchen with a basket of hair styling supplies and a towel. "Good girl," she said when she saw Eries' wet head. "Okay, let's get started."

Eries sat down in the chair and Aunt Flo wrapped the towel around her shoulders. "So, you were going to tell me what happened."

Hitomi pulled up one of the kitchen chairs and sat in front of Eries. She wanted to hear Eries' version of the story as well.

"Well, yesterday Allen went to the construction site to pick Gaddes up from work. Did you hear that he managed to get a job? It thought it was a miracle after that business with those murders downtown."

"I hadn't heard, but isn't Gaddes a little too good for grunt labour?" Aunt Flo said taking the first, not snips, but whacks at Eries' longer strands.

"Not anymore he's not. It's really a shame what happened. Anyway, I thought he was never going to get a job in this town again after that mess. He was lucky that he was so uninvolved or he would have been screwed. Anyway, we suspected that the reason Gaddes was hired was only because he was a member of the Abaharaki and whoever was hiring knew it. I thought we were still too small to be noticed by the Dragon Slayers."

Then Eries proceeded to relate the story of Allen's head injury and then her involvement in everything that happened afterwards. "So, Merle phoned me from Van's and told me that she was stuck taking care of Allen, and that Van had just left with Hitomi."

Hitomi nodded that this was the case, and Aunt Flo raised one white eyebrow at her.

"Well, you know that Merle's about as nurturing as a cat, so I decided to take over for her and it's not often Allen's hurt you know," Eries said.

Hitomi half expected Aunt Flo to smile at the idea of Eries taking care of Allen, but her mouth didn't even twitch. It seemed that she knew Eries quite well, but even if she only knew the bare essentials about her, she must know that Eries and Allen were infamous adversaries. There must be more to Eries than Hitomi suspected.

"Anyway, after awhile Allen seemed so much better that it seemed ridiculous to keep him over at Van's. The only sensible thing was to take him home where he could rest much better in his own bed. So, Miguel offered to take him, and I went with them because I wanted to make sure Allen was comfortable," Eries explained.

"That was nice of you Eries. You're really a nice girl," Aunt Flo said, going a little easier on the shearing.

"That's when it happened," Eries said angrily, and obviously having a hard time keeping her head still as her hair was still being cut. "That … that … bastard!" she exclaimed, whacking the cupboard beside her with a clenched fist.

"Who?" Aunt Flo demanded, coming around. "You don't use _that_ kind of language to describe Allen, do you?"

"No. It was Miguel. He was really a Dragon Slayer all along. He didn't take us to Allen's house, but instead drove us directly to the construction site Gaddes was working at. I was sitting in the back seat and I didn't even realize where he was driving. When we got there, there were about six Dragon Slayers holding guns to our heads before we even recognized the situation. That … monster!" she exclaimed again, hitting the cupboard again.

"Is this true?" Aunt Flo asked Hitomi.

"It's true," Hitomi said, starting in on her own story. "Van and I didn't even know that anyone had been taken that night when we got back. Yesterday, Miguel told us that the Dragon Slayers had got several of our people and Van was supposed to trade himself for them."

"And so you two went to go get everyone?" his aunt asked.

"No, neither Van, nor I realized what Miguel was or what he had done. Van left me there with Miguel to go make the trade. He said he'd come back."

Eries gaped. "You mean he left you there with _him_?"

"He didn't realize Miguel was a Dragon Slayer. He thought I'd be safe there."

"What happened after that?" Eries demanded, nearly hopping off her chair.

Hitomi swallowed a lump in her throat. "After Van had gone, Miguel followed me into my room with a knife, and I fought him."

"And …?" they both asked, staring at Hitomi with eyes as big as serving platters.

Hitomi didn't want to say. Suddenly, she was scared and she wasn't as certain as she had been that he was all right. What if she'd killed him? Or injured him much more than she imagined? She hesitated.

"Tell me!" Eries said, jumping off her chair and grabbing Hitomi's hands. "What happened?"

Hitomi fumbled. Tears were springing up into her eyes, but she couldn't hide it. She swallowed again and confessed, "I stabbed him … I got the knife away from him, and I stabbed him in the side. He was jumping on top of me to pin me and I held the point up."

"Is that his blood on your clothes?" Aunt Flo asked seriously.

Hitomi nodded.

"Did you only stab him the once? Did you leave the knife in? What happened after that?" Aunt Flo persisted, getting in her face just as Eries had done to hear exactly what took place.

Hitomi was so overwhelmed she got up from the chair and made for the door, but Eries held her back.

"I know you're scared Hitomi, but we have to hear what happened. Besides all that, did he tell you anything?" Eries continued, grasping her elbow and stopping her from escaping to the outdoors. "You don't have to be afraid. We're your friends. Please trust us enough to tell us what happened."

Hitomi sealed her lips and thought of what a good friend Eries had been to her. She wanted to tell her, but … Hitomi went slack and said seriously, "I'm not saying another word until I can talk to Van about all this."

"You don't trust me then?" Eries continued.

"Don't think of it that way," Hitomi said. "A lot of things have happened and we've been out all night. I haven't slept since I got home from the club with Van. That was ages ago. I feel like I'm under duress and I need a friggin' break, okay Eries? We're still friends, but I need a chance to chill or I'm gonna come un-friggin'-glued. The only thing that is going to help me is hearing what Van has to say about all this."

"Wait, are you worried we're going to turn you in to the police because you stabbed Miguel, because we believe in obeying the law?" Eries asked.

"You guys don't believe in obeying the law. That's such heinous hypocrisy, I can't even believe you said that Eries. You guys are only good enough to avoid the notice of the police, and sometimes not even that. So, don't say things like that to me. You just don't believe in killing people and I didn't kill Miguel. I called the ambulance to come and pick him up."

"You called the ambulance?" Eries asked, looking incredible.

"But, it's obvious Miguel called the Dragon Slayers to come pick him up after I left and they set fire to Van's house on their way out. Who could blame them? I can think of any number of strong reasons as to why they'd do something like that off the top of my head, can't you? And if Van doesn't have fire insurance, he's an idiot."

"Then why won't you talk about this with us?" Aunt Flo persisted.

"Like I said, a lot happened, more than either of you can possibly imagine," Hitomi said, thinking of her ice abilities. "But I need you to answer one question for me. Can you do that for me, Eries?" she asked, directing herself towards her friend.

"What?"

"Who is Celena?"

If Eries' eyes had been wide before, now they were prepared to burst from her head. "Did you see her?" Eries screamed in Hitomi's ears, and grabbing her arms in a death grip.

"Yes, yes. She's Dilandau's girlfriend, or something like that, but it also seemed to me that she was someone to Allen. Who is she?"

"You never heard about her? I never told you about her? She's Allen's sister. That's why he's the leader of the Abaharaki. He's looking for her. He's putting his whole life on the line to find his sister, and Dilandau's got her? Only Dilandau? Only that little monkey? I'll go get her back myself!" Eries said, letting go of Hitomi and heading for the door.

"Stop right there!" Hitomi said, grabbing Eries. "Don't run off half cocked. Do you even know where they are? I had to let her go so I could save you and Chid." Before Hitomi had stopped speaking, the necklace lying against her chest began to radiate coldness, and Hitomi thought twice about what she had just admitted to Eries.

"You did WHAT?" Eries turned around and slapped Hitomi across the face.

Hitomi shrieked in pain and went sprawling on the floor.

Just as Hitomi's head hit the floor there was a deep groan from the back of the house. Van was calling Hitomi's name.

Hitomi got her bearings and brought herself to her feet. She stepped past Eries, until they could no longer see each other's faces. "You can be as pissed off as you want to Eries, but don't speak for Chid. I couldn't abandon two people for one."

With that Hitomi walked with what dignity she had as hot tears fell down her face to find the room Van was resting in. She couldn't believe that Eries had hit her, but Van had called for her. She knew that Van would smooth things over with everyone.

She found the room he was in, but she tried her tears before opening the door all the way. The doctor was still sitting beside Van.

Van was pale and rolling his head on his pillow like he was delirious. His dark hair fell against the white linen pillow in wet strands.

"He's okay," the non-descript doctor said when he saw Hitomi's alarmed face. "Sit with him a minute. If he sees your face, it'll do him good. I need to go have a word with Flo. Things are uncommonly noisy out there. One would think she could do better." With that he got up and left the room.

Hitomi looked at Van again. His eyes were open, but they were glazed, almost as if he didn't see her. She didn't sit on the chair, but came around and lay down on the unused portion of the double bed.

"You have a red mark on your face," he said dreamily. Hitomi thought he was talking about Eries' handprint. "Could you open a window for me, Hitomi? It's summer. The windows should be open."

Hitomi got up and opened the window beside the bed.

"Is that my blood on your clothes?" he asked, seeing her, it seemed for the first time since their argument in the attic.

"Yeah," she said, tugging at her tank top.

"You should take them off," he suggested.

For a moment, Hitomi didn't know what to say or do. He looked pretty out of it, but did he mean for their relationship to up-shift that quickly? Hitomi wasn't prepared to dress or undress in front of him.

"I bet my aunt has something you could wear," he supplied.

Hitomi wasn't sure if he had paused because he needed to catch his breath, or because he was watching her reaction.

"It's okay. It's dried," she said easily. "Are you in a lot of pain?"

"No. The doctor managed to give me something pretty good." He paused. "Hitomi?"

"Yes."

"I need you to do something for me," he said weakly, "Two things really."

"What?"

"I need you to dissolve the Abaharaki. I have the authority to do it if Allen is unavailable. Chid should be able to help you contact everyone and let them know we are going to be completely off-line for the next six weeks, until Allen gets back. Tell them there will be absolutely no communication or team organization until then. They are to take no action of any kind against the Dragon Slayers. We need to be model citizens until Allen's back and can decide the direction we're going to take. Besides," he said, touching his brow with the back of his slender hand. "I have no interest in leading them. I have my own motives, and I have a strange suspicion that I won't be much of a member of the Abaharaki after this."

"Why?" Hitomi asked, unbelievably curious.

"I know a lot of people will be disappointed about this decision," he said, not answering her question. "But, you and I have a lot of work to do. I need to teach you how to control yourself. We need to get back to my place in the city …"

"Actually, we can't do that. I guess you didn't hear that your house is burning down right now. Chid saw it on the news," Hitomi admitted.

"Really? So, the Dragon Slayers finally found out where I lived? Huh … Glad I wasn't there. Is Miguel okay? Do you know?"

Hitomi bit her lip and prepared to tell him the whole story. She didn't want to tell him. It was going to be uncomfortable, but she felt like if she couldn't trust Van in this crazy world than there was really no one to trust at all. He had been the one to bring her out; the one person in her life who knew everything about her, and who wanted to protect her. He asked her lots of questions, but some of them didn't really make sense and Hitomi decided he was still under the influence of whatever drug the doctor had given him.

"Maybe we should wait until you're not so doped up before we let you make any major decisions," Hitomi suggested, wondering if he understood everything she told him.

"No Hitomi," he said. "I'm positive this is the proper course - just like I was positive that you were the girl."

"What?" Hitomi asked. Was there more about the night she received her abilities than she'd thought.

"I told you I had been watching you at the club, right?"

Hitomi nodded, but she wasn't sure what else he had to say on the subject.

"That night, I was angry and frustrated. I had actually bumped, quite literally, into you and you didn't even stop to look at me. I decided that I had to let my fascination for you go, and that I was too ticked off to watch Dilandau anymore that night. So, I left the club after having one last look at you dancing with him. I got in my car and drove and drove. Then finally when I pulled up in front of my house I had that vision of the crescent moon. I knew you had to be the girl Dilandau was leaning over. He hadn't danced with anyone else all night," Van said, talking slowly. He sighed then, with all the sultry pale sickness of a starving vampire, and looked at Hitomi with eyes that saw something beautiful. "It had to be you. It couldn't be anyone else. There had to be a reason I reacted so strongly whenever I came near you," he paused and gazed at her as though he was drowning. "I wanted to ask you for one more thing."

"… Anything," Hitomi said.

"I'd get up if I could, and show you how I feel," he started.

Van looked too dangerous, too tired, or maybe too totally unaccountable for the anything he said or did.

"I thought you wanted me to grow up," Hitomi said, reacting to the pressure and persuasion in his face.

"I lied," he said simply, shrugging his shoulders and looking away from her.

"You lied?" Hitomi asked in disbelief. "The Van I know doesn't lie."

"I lie all the time. Like for instance, I told Allen that I wanted you to live at my house because I wanted to protect you. I didn't tell him the truth about who you really are."

Hitomi gaped. He had strongly implied that he had told Allen the _real _truth.

"Is ANYTHING you say true?" Hitomi said, moving to get up, but Van's hand on her hand stopped her.

"I told you I wanted you to grow up, but what I really meant was that I wanted you to realize that you had power on your own," he said, shaking his head drowsily like he was about to fall asleep. "But, it was obvious that strategy wasn't going to work. I told you I wasn't prepared for everyone to find out that you were the girl my tattoo was for, and that's what I meant. You needed to learn it for yourself before I could leak the information. But you said 'now or never' so I had to come up with a different plan. My new plan was to take you out in the woods and just tell you. Then I'd help you train until you were practiced."

"But how did you even know that I was the girl?" Hitomi demanded. "Dilandau might have changed dance partners."

"The frost-bite on your chest proved it. I didn't like that it hurt you. I'm still so sorry about that," he said, definitely looking like he meant what he said.

"So, you don't care that I'm only seventeen?" she asked quietly.

"I shouldn't have lied," he admitted, "but you'll be eighteen in a couple weeks, won't you?"

"Uh-huh," Hitomi said, smiling.

It was as if she realized that their relationship was really possible at that moment. It had never seemed real to her before. Not when he gave her the jewel necklace, or took her out for dinner; not when he invited her to live with him, or cleaned the bathroom for her; not when he asked her to sleep in his bed with him, and not even when he blew sultry heat down her back to stop her from going berserk. At this moment, as she saw his leg bandaged and elevated with pillows, she understood that he wasn't someone completely untouchable. He had always seemed that way to her, almost inhuman, but now, she really saw him – maybe for the first time. He was a living being who could be hurt, vulnerable, with a real human heart beating fast in his chest. She could never imagine that her rejection of him could really hurt him. He was much too hot to be bothered with whether she liked him or not, or so she thought. Now she saw that he needed her very much as his eyes burned with heat, and she bent her head down.

He didn't ask her if she was sure she wanted him.

She didn't care.

Hitomi looked in his eyes and saw how much this moment mattered to him, and that sent every other thought in her mind scattering.

When she was close enough he put his arms around her and he brought her mouth to his. His leg was not to be bumped, but Hitomi held him as close as she dared. He smelled musky and hot. It made her breathless. But the kiss was far too intense for her to handle and soon she leap up from the bed.

"What's the matter?" he asked, looking as winded as she was.

"I'm going to hurt your leg," she said, trying to cool her burning cheeks. "And I don't want to lose control. Your lips …"

"Come here."

"Your leg!" she insisted.

"You said I was drugged up," he persisted.

"That's no reason to hurt you more. Come on, grab the bull by the horns and pull yourself together," Hitomi said, hands on hips, trying her best to keep herself under control as well. "I'm sure we'll have a chance for all that when you're better. Besides, I need you to do a little damage control for me," Hitomi continued, trying desperately to change the subject.

"Why?"

"I need you to explain to everyone what happened. I guess I don't care if you lie to them or whatever, but Eries and your aunt want an explanation of everything that has happened. If I'm your lover than we need to figure out what we're going to tell them together."

"Of course," he said, seeming more alert than he had before.

8


	24. Chapter 24

_Author's Notes: It's been fun. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed. I'll be doing something else some place else next week. Sorry this is a day late. I have been hyper busy. Anywhoo, if you enjoyed this, please go buy my book 'The Blood that Flows' by Stephanie Van Orman (me) on Amazon. See you next time!_

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**Chapter 24**

Hitomi and Van had agreed that he should be the one to talk to Eries, but that proved unnecessary as Eries came voluntarily to Hitomi and apologized for hitting her. They sat together at the kitchen table and ate the canned soup Eries warmed up with big slices of buttered bread.

"I shouldn't have done that," Eries said candidly. "You were right about leaving Celena if it meant abandoning Chid and I. It's just that Allen has tried so hard to find her and there have been no clues at all as to where she might be. Dilandau has kept her so well concealed, and I really do want to help Allen find her."

Hitomi nodded, and hugged Eries, telling her she forgave her.

"What did Van have to say?" Eries asked uneasily.

"About what?" Hitomi asked, wanting only to answer the most obvious questions herself.

"About my … slapping you?" she asked quietly.

"I didn't tell him," Hitomi said. "He's really kind of out of it. Actually, he's _pretty _out of it. He asked me to do some things, but I'm not sure I want to do anything until he's thinking clearly."

"What did he ask you to do?"

"He wants us to dissolve the Abaharaki until Allen is freed," Hitomi admitted.

"No, that's Van thinking very clearly. We don't really have much choice at this point. Besides Allen, the Dragon Slayers have three of our people captive. Gaddes is in the hospital and Van has been shot. We don't really have a choice. If that's really what he wants to do, I'm sure everyone will understand. But how will we get our people back if we don't organize some counter measure as a group?"

"That's already taken care of," Hitomi said. "Dilandau gave us an offer before we left, and Van will meet the terms of it."

"That's awfully big of Van. What do they want him to do?"

"They want him to go to a bar in six weeks to pick them up," Hitomi said, rehearsing what she and Van decided to say to that particular question.

"Oh," Eries said flatly.

"So, you're okay with that?" Hitomi asked uncertainly, being very sure what she said implied. It meant that the Dragon Slayers were going to get their hands on 'The Dragon'.

Eries paused before she answered and then continued. "This is the kind of thing Van likes to do – damage control. This is really where he shines. I don't think Dilandau will get his way with Van. Van'll show up, get our people and whisk out without anyone the wiser."

"What about his leg?" Hitomi asked seriously.

"You'll see. He's a rock!" Eries said confidently. "As a matter of fact, he's such a rock that there was a fuss awhile ago about 'certain' members wanting Van to be our leader instead of Allen. But I supported Allen through it – womanizer or no – he's a man with a purpose. Van's not really our leader anyway. I know there are a lot of people who really want Van to be, but his heart isn't really in it."

"How can you tell?"

Eries almost snorted, but didn't because she wasn't capable of such an unladylike gesture. "Oh, come on. Van wants to find his mystery girl, get his law degree and be useful for something different than being the ammunition. I think he actually regrets being the tank of the group, which is unusual when so many of our strapping young lads want to be just like him. But tank or no, he doesn't want to involve others in his pursuits. He's a loner. But it's good that he doesn't let his lack of enthusiasm about being the tank interfere with our work."  
Hitomi was pleased Eries was talking to her again like they were old friends. She didn't know they could be that comfortable with each other after such an incident.

But when she didn't comment on what was said, Eries asked her, "Do you still like Van then? You haven't given up on him?"

"I know you said it was hopeless, but I can't help it. As a matter of fact," Hitomi said slowly. "I'm going to go get my dragon tattoo as soon as possible."

"Don't do that Hitomi," Eries advised. "If the Abaharaki dissolve, we might not get on our feet again, especially since they burned Van's house down. Then you'll be marked like the rest of us for no good reason. You could still go home to your parents, you know. Actually, right now would probably be a great time – during all this mess. Don't you think? Don't you want to let them know you're all right?"

Hitomi hadn't even been thinking about her parents and was sort of startled by Eries suggestion. She was also surprised by her own thoughts on the subject. "Go home now?" Hitomi asked with eyebrows drawn together. "There's no way I'll go home now. Sure I'd like my parents to know I'm safe, but I can't leave Van now. If we part, I might never find him again."

"He doesn't love you," Eries said. "He's just a flirt."

"Even so," Hitomi said, knowing full well that what Eries said was not true, but well meant. "I don't care if he loves me. I'm going to spend the rest of my life loving him, and I'm going to stay by him until something I can't control stops me."

Aunt Flo chose this very opportune moment to enter the kitchen and hear what they were saying. She didn't comment, but instead went over to the pot the soup was stewing in and drew a portion out into a bowl.

"Well, if you feel that way Hitomi," she said as casually as if she hadn't overhead. "Why don't you take Van this food? I'm sure he's hungry. I don't think he needs to be spoon fed, but if he does, I'm sure you'll take care of that, won't you?"

Hitomi took the soup and spoon and headed for Van's room, but as she left she heard Van's aunt say quietly to Eries, "Poor child. She doesn't realize that she can't win no matter how hard she tries."

Hitomi frowned. Van wasn't prepared to tell anyone about the two of them still, but she wouldn't let herself doubt him. There was no way she wasn't the girl of his dreams. Eventually, they'd all know the truth, and she'd have to be content with that hope.

Van held what seemed like a media circus the next day. A few members of the Abaharaki drove out to the farm for it, while others watched online. Chid set up a webcam for them. He set the camera up by the couch where Van was moved specifically so he wouldn't have to greet everyone from his bed. He was still resting.

Hitomi wondered if Van would be uncomfortable talking to so many people. At least fifteen were huddled in the living room, with several other interested parties online, but he wasn't the least bit nervous as he announced the state of things.

"Well, as some of you have heard, last Friday night Allen, Eries, Chid, Jeremy Richard and Nick, were all kidnapped by the Dragon Slayers. And as some of you haven't heard, Miguel is, and always has been, a Dragon Slayer. Now I'll tell you all what happened over the past few days." Van was very selective and careful over what he announced to everyone. He didn't tell them that Hitomi had stabbed Miguel, and implied that Miguel let her leave in order to have a chance to burn their headquarters down.

Everyone listened to him with grave eyes. They trusted Van as he spoke to them. It hurt Hitomi a lot more than she expected, since they were lying to everyone. Besides not telling them the truth about Miguel, Van omitted to tell them many other things. For instance, he didn't tell them about Celena. As most of the members were recruited by Allen, they all knew the tragic story of Allen's little sister, and since they would have walked through fire for him, had Allen asked them, they would undoubtedly do the same for his sister. Van said he didn't want a ruckus and mentioned her only as Dilandau's latest girlfriend.

Van also didn't say a word about Hitomi's abilities, but Hitomi knew he wanted to keep that secret above all things. He kept saying to her when they were alone that as soon as Allen and the others were safe he was done with the Abaharaki. He said he originally thought that they might be able to do something to stop the Dragon Slayers, but now he knew that he and Allen were merely endangering more lives. There had to be a better way to go about this, and he said he needed some time to think about it before he proceeded.

When he was finished telling everyone his tale (his grossly understated tale) explaining few facts, and without much detail, everyone wanted to ask him questions. Merle was sitting on the floor in front of him, crying her eyes out that he had been shot, so that no one could really hear his answers. Finally, Van's aunt took her out of the room and showed her to the bathroom so she could get a hold of herself.

Van was brief, but he answered the most important question with power and authority.

"So, what are you going to do to ensure Allen, Nick, Jeremy, and Richard's safety?" someone called out from the back.

Van cocked his head and answered clearly, for everyone in the room to hear, "I'm going to give myself up."

A hush fell over everyone as they understood what he was saying.

"But you can't do that!" someone else debated.

"I can, and I will," Van said, looking strong, even with his leg heavily bandaged and his bare foot resting on the cushions. He was wearing soccer shorts for pity sake and he still managed to look like a warrior.

"Then you can't go alone," a little blonde haired girl was saying.

"You're right. I need someone to drive everyone back home after we're finished.

Hitomi saw more hands come up than if someone burst in on a kindergarten class asking who wanted ice cream. It looked like everyone who had a driver's license was volunteering – including Chid, who didn't have a driver's license.

Van settled them quickly enough by saying, "I've already decided that Gaddes is the man who's going with me. He's already known to the Dragon Slayers and has been into trouble up to his neck. I'm sure he'll do a good job."

"Will he be well enough?" Chid asked. He hadn't been part of the discussions that had taken place beforehand.

"I talked to him on the phone this morning. They're letting him out of the hospital tomorrow or the day after so he'll be in fine shape in six weeks. He's already agreed," Van explained to everyone when they looked skeptical.

Hitomi didn't like talk like this. She didn't want to give Van up, but he had to have a plan. There was no way he'd let himself be caught, but he might let Folken and Dilandau _think_ that he's caught if only to give Gaddes and the others enough time to drive away. Van had not discussed his plan with her. That left her only to believe that his plan did not include her.

"So, _all_ of us are going off-line?" someone asked, once the deal with the Dragon Slayers' captives was settled.

"If anyone has any pressing information, I'd encourage them to report it to me before they leave today. Everything else can wait until Allen gets back," Van said.

"But surely, you can lead us just as well as Allen, even with that leg," another person was saying. "There's no reason for us to close up shop, is there?"

By this point, it seemed to Hitomi that Van was getting tired. "That would be a perfect solution," he said carefully. "If it was what _I_ wanted, and I can't be sure that that's what _all_ of you want either. In any case, I'm simply not willing to take on the job. I'm hurt, and I have a dangerous task ahead of me, and to put it quite simply – I have something else I have to do right now. Does that answer your question?"

"No," someone pouted.

"What are you doing?" someone else pouted. "Law school doesn't start until the fall, and you've already graduated."

Van flashed a good-tempered smile at everyone. "I'm glad my private life is of such wild interest to all of you. Maybe you'll understand one day why I keep it under wraps."

"He confessed to _her_!" a girl's voice shrilled from a corner Hitomi couldn't see.

"Is it true?" someone burst. "Did you tell her you loved her – your moon tattoo girl?"

"Does she love you back?" another boy demanded.

Hitomi laughed aloud and wondered how he was going to work his way out of this.

Van smiled and avoiding Hitomi's eyes said, "Not on your life. If this is all we're going to talk about … Chid, cut the power." When Chid refused, Van continued, "I'm not doing this. Stick to serious questions or I'm kicking you all out."

After everyone had gone Hitomi drove Miguel's orange car into the barn and parked it where Van's aunt used to keep cows. Now it was empty and left enough room to comfortably hide the car. Van told her not to worry about it – that he'd drive it to The Voltage Room when it was time for him to meet Folken (a name he only whispered to her when he seemed most certain that they were alone), and he'd leave it there for them to deal with.

"Are you sure you'll be able to drive?" Hitomi asked.

Van shrugged his shoulders. "I've still got almost the whole six weeks left. Maybe I'll be doing better by then."

Hitomi nodded, though she didn't think he'd be better, since he utterly refused the wheel chair and wandered around using only one crutch.

"Is there a car I could use?" Hitomi asked him suddenly. "I really need to go into town."

"What for?" Van asked.

"There's something I've gotta do," she said.

He raised his eyebrows at that and gave her a skeptical glance. "Are you going to tell me what it is?"

"I'd rather not," she said.

"How about Auntie then? I'm sure she'd take you," Van offered.

Hitomi frowned. _Ew!_ She had been planning to go to the city to a tattoo parlor to get her tattoo done, but to take Van's aunt to a place like that? Hitomi shuddered at the thought.

"I don't know any other way, unless you go pay the towing fee and get _my_ car."

Hitomi grasped onto that idea and pushed for it. So, she got his car back the next day and the day after Hitomi drove herself into the city to get her tattoo done.

Hitomi came back into the farmhouse sorer than she imagined, and wished for a fraction of a second that she had got it done on a smaller scale. She wore a woolen shirt she had borrowed out of the spare closet in Van's room. She didn't know if it was Van's or whose. It fit very badly, but it covered the black marks on her arm and that was all she expected.

When Van saw her come in he asked her where she had gone. "Did you finally go see your parents?"

"No," she said.

"Where did you go then?"

She lifted her shirt and showed Van the tattoo that was now impressed on her shoulder. Her arm was swollen, but he could clearly see a dragon resting on the curve of a crescent moon, its pointed tail hanging down her arm.

"I see," he said admiringly. "How did you pay for that?"

Hitomi smiled and slid his credit card out of her back pocket and into his hand, which happened to be resting on the small of her back. "Thank you sweet heart," she said, trying to sound as though she did this kind of thing all the time and that their relationship was just like that.

"You _stole_ my credit card!" he exclaimed incredulously. "You _stole _my credit card. I'm not sure whether I should congratulate you for managing to sneak it out of my wallet, or bawl you out for borrowing my money without asking."

"Don't you like it?" she asked flirtatiously.

"I love it, but I just can't believe it. You _stole_ my credit …"

She silenced him with a kiss, and what do you know, he kept quiet.

**The End**

5


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